On December 2-3, 2013 Moscow became the venue of international conference “The Arctic: Region of Cooperation and Development” organized by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and its Russian and international partners, among them RAS Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), International Maritime Law Association, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Center for Strategic and International Studies. The event was primarily focused on international cooperation of the Arctic states in the region.
On December 2-3, 2013 Moscow became the venue of international conference “The Arctic: Region of Cooperation and Development” organized by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and its Russian and international partners, among them RAS Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), International Maritime Law Association, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Center for Strategic and International Studies. The event was primarily focused on international cooperation of the Arctic states in the region.
The Conference was opened by Arthur Chilingarov, Special Representative of the President for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, Anton Vasilyev, Russian Envoy to the Arctic Council, Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General, Alexander Dynkin, Director of RAS Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Andrew Kuchins, Director of the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program, Scott Highleyman, Director of the International Arctic Program at Pew Charitable Trusts, Vladimir Mednikov, President of International Maritime Law Association, and Leonid Kalashnikov, First Deputy of State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The two-day Conference became a platform for dynamic discussion for the Arctic specialists. Besides, separate panels on Arctic fishing and harmonization of environmental legislations of the Arctic Council member-states attracted the attention of prominent scientists and operators from Russia, the U.S., Canada, Denmark (Greenland) and other countries, while the representatives of business community concentrated on shipping in the Arctic Ocean and development of the public-private partnership in the region. Requirements and problems of sustainable development of the Arctic territories became the realm of participants from universities and local authorities of Russia’s Arctic zone. The final panel dwelled upon the vast agenda for Russian-American cooperation in the region.
The plenary session saw the presentation of the proposals for strengthening international cooperation in the Arctic. In addition, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov delivered the address to the Conference participants on behalf of Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister.
Deputy Secretary of Russian Security Council Vladimir Nazarov spoke on the scale of the Arctic development issues, emphasizing that real life prompts the need for broad international cooperation, primarily with the Arctic countries. Special attention should be attached to protection of the fragile Arctic environment. In order to attain this goal, “the November 6 session of the Security Council made a decision to expand the network of the Arctic territories and waters under special protection of the state.”
According to RIAC President Igor Ivanov, the Council’s interest to the Arctic is no tribute to fashion but “our principal and strategic choice… the Arctic has become the crossroads for key power lines of global politics and development in the 21st century. This is the area where we try to uncover practical answers to questions relevant for our common future, far beyond its geographical limits.”
Summarizing the Conference debate, Director of IMEMO Department of Disarmament and Conflict Resolution Andrey Zagorsky said: “Due to diverse positions of different groups of countries, the international community seems to lag behind the pace in regulation of essential shipping issues. The shipping sector is building up, while we keep discussing the Polar Code from year to year.” On the whole, “the participants were geared at constructive discussion of all issues”, with special attention attached to the Arctic Council activities by most speakers.
Bearing in mind the significance of the Arctic for Russia’s foreign policy and its influence on international relations, RIAC plans to advance its project “Roadmap for International Cooperation in the Arctic.”
International conference “The Arctic: Region of Cooperation and Development”
