Arctic Council to agree on its first strategic plan May 7 - Lavrov

ST. PETERSBURG, April 9. /TASS/. The first strategic planning document in the history of the Arctic Council will be agreed on at a meeting between the foreign ministers of the Council’s member-countries to be held in Rovaniemi, Finland, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a session of the "Arctic: Territory of Dialogue" 5th International Arctic Forum on Tuesday. "The Arctic Council’s ministerial meeting is a little less than a month away. In the run-up to that important event, we expect the first prospective planning document in the Council’s history, a strategic plan and a ministerial declaration to be approved in a constructive manner," he said. Lavrov stressed that these documents were to outline the framework for joint efforts for the foreseeable future, including during Russia’s chairmanship of the Council in 2021. "Nothing reinforces confidence between countries better than cooperation while completing common tasks. We are in favor of good-neighborliness and mutually beneficial partnership remaining a priority in the Arctic Council’s activities," he stressed. According to Lavrov, during its chairmanship, Russia will "promote the interests of indigenous Arctic ethnic groups by endorsing programs for the comprehensive and balanced development of the region in three dimensions: economic, social and environmental." Finland currently holds the Arctic Council chairmanship. At the upcoming ministerial meeting in early May, it will hand over the chairmanship to Iceland. Ministerial meetings are held every other year. Established in 1996 in accordance with the Ottawa Declaration, the Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation in the region, especially in the field of environmental protection. Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the United States, Finland and Sweden are the Arctic Council’s member-states. Read more