On November 13–17, 2017 the international conference “International and Interregional Connectivity of Protected Areas in the European North”, took place, co-organized by the Karelian Research Centre RAS, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Nature Use and Environment of the Republic of Karelia with support from the Ministry of the Environment of Finland, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, WWF Russia Barents Office, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), University of Eastern Finland.

The conference gathered over 150 participants representing scientific organizations, national and regional authorities, public and non-governmental nature conservation organizations from Russia, Finland and Norway. The conference has attracted participants from the Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and Vologda Regions, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Region, as well as the Komi Republic. Leading researchers from strict nature reserves (Kostomukshsky, Lapland, Darwin, Pasvik) and Kenozersky National Park took part in the discussion of the hindrances and prospects for the development of protected areas.

A special event within the conference was the roundtable session “Challenges and outlooks for the development of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia”. At the roundtable, scientists from three countries discussed further coordination of the activities at protected areas in the “Green Belt of Fennoscandia”, intensification of cross-border projects and enlargement of the PA territory.