On Monday, it was time again.

Norwegian and Swedish ministers who meet and discuss the countries' different ways of looking at cross-border reindeer grazing.

This time, it was again new ministers who met on the issue.

But the problem remains the same.

Sweden follows the Lapp codicil and Norway follows its law, which is written according to the 1972 reindeer husbandry convention.

Everyone agrees that the situation as it is now is not good.

It results in cross-border conflicts leading to trials.


The Sami Parliament and SSR have long demanded that the states agree on this issue.

Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food Sandra Borch commented on the meeting during the day to NRK and said that it is a problem that they do not have a common set of rules. 

- It also gives reindeer herders problems in their everyday lives.

So we have said that we must find a solution that is good for the reindeer herding industry both in Norway and in Sweden.

The Swedish Minister does not appear for an interview

Sweden's Minister of Rural Affairs Anna-Caren Sätherberg announced before the meeting via her press secretary that she is not running for an interview.

In an interview with SVT Sápmi 2020, the then Minister of Rural Affairs Jennie Nilsson said that there may be talk of a different solution than a convention to regulate cross-border reindeer grazing.

-It can be another solution.

This is an issue that we need to discuss how we can best solve it.

Can you name what type of solution?

- For example, you solve it with some type of agreement.

but at the moment we are not there yet.

The important thing is that after ten years when we have not been able to talk to each other, we have had locked positions, we now have a situation where it is open to find solutions, Jennie Nilsson told SVT Sápmi two years ago.

See the clip above about the background to the conflict