Russia partially resumed its work on the Arctic Council, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, quoted by the Ria Novosti agency said on Friday.
Moscow, January 24 (Xinhua)-Russia has partially resumed its work on the Arctic Council, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova, quoted by the Ria Novosti agency.
She noted that under the chairmanship of Norway, virtual meetings of the six working groups of the Council had taken place during the second half of 2024. These groups focus on sustainable development, climate, environmental protection, as well as prevention and intervention in an emergency.
Ms. Zakharova indicated that the “process of taking over the work of the Arctic Council will continue, taking into account the interests of all the Arctic States” and “on the basis of the current realities of the format and the tasks with which our country is confronted in this area “.
-The activities of the Arctic Council have been largely frozen in the past two years following the suspension of the participation of Western countries in March 2022, due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The Arctic Council, created in 1996, is a high -level intergovernmental forum that facilitates cooperation in the region, in particular in terms of environmental protection. The Council includes Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the United States, Finland and Sweden. The countries which ensure the rotating presidency take turns every two years.
