A meeting was held in Moscow between Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of the international Arctic forum "The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue", and Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Senior Official of the Arctic Council from the Russian Federation.
The participants discussed the development of international cooperation in the Arctic, as well as the content and topics of the business program of MAF-2025, which will be held in Murmansk on March 26-27 under the motto "Live in the North!" The event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation.
"The Arctic is a unique region that is important for the systemic solution of problems related to the development of logistics, mining and other strategic issues that affect the global agenda. Russia plays a key role in the development and exploration of northern latitudes. Unique experience has been accumulated for working in the extreme conditions of the North, which allows not only to effectively develop the economic potential of the region, but also to carefully preserve its fragile ecosystem. In addition, Russia invariably emphasizes the importance of taking into account the interests of indigenous peoples, preserving their cultural heritage and traditional way of life. The development of the Arctic is not only an economic issue, but also part of national identity and sovereignty. Despite the opposition of Western states, Russia is open to equal dialogue and interaction with all interested parties. I am confident that the upcoming international Arctic forum will become an important platform for the formation of new instruments for sustainable cooperation in the Far North," Anton Kobyakov emphasized.
It was noted at the meeting that work within the framework of traditional international dialogue platforms of the Arctic, including on the basis of the Arctic Council, has currently been effectively stopped. Nevertheless, there is potential for both restoring constructive interaction with Arctic countries and for expanding cooperation with extra-regional states.
"Within the Arctic Council, the activities of working groups with Russian participation have been partially resumed, which allows us to count on the restoration of effective communication with other states in the region. We are ready for mutually beneficial cooperation to unlock the economic potential of the Arctic, taking into account the interests of indigenous peoples and maintaining the ecological balance in the Far North. Discussion of promising international initiatives, including with extra-regional states, will take an important place in the forum"s program. This dialogue will contribute to the sustainable development of the Arctic and the preservation of peace and stability in the region," said Vladislav Maslennikov.
In 2023, Russia"s chairmanship of the Arctic Council ended. Particular attention was paid to four priority areas: "Arctic population, including indigenous peoples", "Environmental protection, including climate change issues", "Socioeconomic development", and "Strengthening Arctic cooperation". About 90 events were held over two years.
The International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue" is a key platform for discussing current issues of socio-economic development of the Arctic territories, developing multi-level multilateral mechanisms for joint disclosure and effective development of the powerful resource potential of the Arctic region.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region based on materials from the Roscongress Foundation /
