Russia adopts concept of chairing Arctic Council 2021-2023

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin inked the concept of Russia’s chairing the Arctic Council in 2021-2023, the government’s press service said on Saturday. During the chairing term, Russia will develop cooperation with the participating countries in four priority directions: the Arctic population, including the North’s low-numbered indigenous peoples, protection of the Arctic environment, including the climate changes, socio-economic development of the region, and strengthening of the Arctic Council’s role as the main platform for multilateral cooperation in high latitudes. The concept complies with the tasks, set by President Vladimir Putin in the national policies in the Arctic, in the strategy for development of the Russian Arctic zone, and with the national security policies to 2035, the press service said. The prime minister approved a detailed plan of events for the term of Russia’s chairing role. For 2021-2023, the government has planned culture festivals, scientific conferences, conventions, expeditions, WorldSkills competitions, students’ summits, roundtables, and forums. Most events will take place in Russia’s northern cities: Yakutsk, Salekhard, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Syktyvkar, and also in Norway’s north. The Arctic Council was organized in 1996. The high-level intergovernmental forum for development of international cooperation in high latitudes is a unique platform for cooperation between governments of Arctic states, the Arctic Council’s permanent members, representing indigenous peoples in the vast Arctic region, as well as with other countries and international organizations, which are the Arctic Council’s observers. The Arctic Council’s members are Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the US, Finland and Sweden. Read more