During the course of the 10 years the Barents cooperation has existed, a number of visits have taken place between the Nordic countries and Russia. These have been group tours with various cultural players: groups of musicians, folk dancers, school bands, local historians, etc. The meetings have been based on developing interaction through common interests. This group of people can be characterised as players in voluntary cultural activities. Athletes are a significant group in this connection.

Another group has been professionals in various disciplines; museum employees, university employees, library employees, etc. What distinguishes this group is that its members have come together in seminars and conferences, and in this manner taken part in transferring knowledge, creating networks and in some instances starting joint projects. All these meetings have been and will also in the future be important arenas for the creation of a new identity.

A third phenomenon that supports the people-to-people meetings is friendship municipalities. This is generally between the municipalities on the Nordic side and Russia. Sixteen municipalities in Finnmark have friendship municipalities in Russia. Several of these also have friendship ties with municipalities in the other Scandinavian countries. This does not just involve cultural exchanges, but also tourism, schools, social issues and working life. Events, exchange of delegations and various cultural groups contribute to establishing meeting places and promoting innovative thinking in the Barents region.

The people-to-people work is to a great extent the responsibility of other bodies than the Culture Committee. It takes place bilaterally and will hopefully increase in the future, It is then up to the individual counties to consider supporting these activities financially, but the Culture Committee is of the opinion that this work is extremely important. Getting together at the grass roots level is a prerequisite if there is to be an interest in art and an art commitment at a multilateral level.