🎙️Comment by Ambassador of Russia to Denmark Vladimir Barbin to "Izvestia" newspaper on mutual fishery relations between Russia and the Faroe Islands (December 3, 2025)

Russia's cooperation with the Faroe Islands is going through a difficult time today. Restrictions are being imposed on our fishermen. Today, only those vessels that are involved in the implementation of the agreement on mutual fishery relations (in force since 1977) have permission to enter Faroese ports and receive services there. However, even in this case, the crews of our ships are discriminated, they are forbidden to leave the port territory.

The head of government of this Danish autonomous region is insisting on ending cooperation with Russia and claims that it is essential to eliminate dependence on the Russian market. If in 2021 24% of Faroese exports went to Russia, in 2025 - 8%.

In their approaches to foreign policy issues, the Faroe Islands are guided by the NATO and EU states and strive to pursue a similar policy towards Russia. In 2025 the European Union and Norway imposed sanctions on Russian fishing companies. In this regard, the Government of the Faroe Islands has pushed through parliament the adoption of a bill allowing it to impose sanctions against Russian companies. The decision was not made unanimously. Opponents of such changes pointed out their destructive nature for the economy of the autonomous region, as well as the fact that no evidence of the involvement of Russian companies in any activity other than fishing was presented.

All these points jeopardize the agreement on mutual fishery relations of 1977 and may lead to the final destruction of the constructive relations that have developed between Russia and the Faroe Islands for many decades.