Swedish city of Karlskrona and Narva-Jõesuu sign cooperation agreement

Narva-Jõesuu and Karlskrona – new cooperation on the shores of the Baltic Sea!

On 26 September, an official delegation from the Swedish city of Karlskrona visited Narva-Jõesuu. A cooperation agreement was signed, which will create new opportunities for tourism, culture and education and help the city to take the next steps in attracting European funding.

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International partnership opens doors to European funding and creates new opportunities for tourism development

Narva-Jõesuu, the resort town of Ida-Viru County, took a big step forward in its future-oriented development activities. 26. A five-member delegation from the Swedish city of Karlskrona visited the city on 1 September 2025, during which a cooperation agreement was signed focusing on tourism development, culture, educational cooperation and exchange of experience.

Narva-Jõesuu Mayor Maksim Ilyin explained that international partners are essential for the city:

“If we want to reach a new level of development and launch serious projects in the next five years, we need partners in the Baltic Sea region as well as in Scandinavia. This is exactly what the Interreg programme has been suggesting.”

Example of a pier reconstruction

Ilyin gave a concrete example – the reconstruction of the Narva-Jõesuu pier. This is a vital infrastructure that protects the river mouth from excessive sand and sediment. Otherwise, in a few years’ time, ships could only be able to reach the sea through Russian territory.

Originally, the restoration of the pier was to be funded by the Estonian-Russian cross-border cooperation programme. However, after Russia’s full-scale aggression in Ukraine, the programme was closed and Narva-Jõesuu turned to the Interreg programme. However, it turned out that funding on this scale was only possible through international partnerships. The choice of Karlskrona was a logical one.

Karlskrona as a strong partner

Karlskrona is a seaside town of almost 50 000 inhabitants, located on 33 islands and home to the Swedish naval headquarters. It also has a strong shipbuilding and tourism sector. Tourism and fishing are also the sectors that link the city with Narva-Jõesuu.

Karlskrona City Council leader Peter Glimvall, who calls his position in international relations “lord-mayer”, said at the meeting:

“I was attracted by Narva-Jõesuu’s special location on the border, its interesting history and your tourism and fishing sector. I see a lot of potential for cooperation here.”

Tourism relations gaining momentum

The mayor of Narva-Jõesuu added that the share of Swedish tourists in the city is gradually increasing. Glimvall, in turn, pointed out that the Swedish side sees the entire Baltic region as a single tourist market, which naturally includes Narva-Jõesuu.

Karlskrona is home to Destination Karlskrona AB, a tourism company, and a representative of Destination Karlskrona AB gave a telling example: in 2024, a record number of overnight stays will be registered in the city – nearly 456 000. This is even more than the total for the whole of Ida-Viru County (375 000 overnight stays).

Forward-looking cooperation

The signing of the cooperation agreement is an important milestone that will create completely new opportunities for Narva-Jõesuu. It is not just a formality, but a practical step that will open the door to EU funding programmes and help to implement infrastructure projects as well as “soft activities” – cultural events, school exchanges, experience sharing and business development.

For Narva-Jõesuu, the Karlskrona cooperation agreement is a strategic investment in the future – it will strengthen the city’s international position, help attract European funding and bring new visitors and cooperation opportunities to the region.