On May 12, 2021, the International Multimedia Press Center MIA "Rossiya Segodnya" (Russia Today) hosted a round table focusing on the beginning of Russia's Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and timed to the release of RIAC report on the Arctic Council, its status and activities. The presentation and the following discussion of the report were held during the event.
The roundtable was attended by: Natalya Vyakhireva, RIAC Program Manager; Alexander Vylegzhanin, Head of the Program of International Law at MGIMO University, RIAC Member; Nikolai Korchunov, Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador at Large, and Russia's Senior Arctic Official to the Arctic Council; and Mikhail Kuznetsov, Director of the Federal Autonomous Scientific Institution “Eastern State Planning Center” (FANU Vostokgosplan).
On May 12, 2021, the International Multimedia Press Center MIA "Rossiya Segodnya" (Russia Today) hosted a round table focusing on the beginning of Russia's Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and timed to the release of RIAC report on the Arctic Council, its status and activities. The presentation and the following discussion of the report were held during the event.
The roundtable was attended by: Natalya Vyakhireva, RIAC Program Manager; Alexander Vylegzhanin, Head of the Program of International Law at MGIMO University, RIAC Member; Nikolai Korchunov, Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador at Large, and Russia's Senior Arctic Official to the Arctic Council; and Mikhail Kuznetsov, Director of the Federal Autonomous Scientific Institution “Eastern State Planning Center” (FANU Vostokgosplan).
Natalya Vyakhireva, RIAC Program Manager, addressed the roundtable participants with a welcoming speech. She briefly outlined the main points of the report on the review of the status, powers, structure and activities of the Arctic Council, and also spoke about the main priorities of Russia's Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023.
Alexander Vylegzhanin, Head of the Program of International Law at MGIMO University, RIAC Member, elaborated on the role of the Arctic Council in various international legal mechanisms for managing environmental and economic activities in the Arctic and on interaction with various international regional organizations. It was noted that today Russia focuses primarily on human dimension issues and ecology in the Arctic region. It is a great achievement that the Arctic Council continues to function effectively in today's challenging international environment without becoming a platform of confrontation. The speaker also shared his vision of practical recommendations for the Russian Federation during its Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
Nikolai Korchunov, Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador at Large, and Russia's Senior Arctic Official to the Arctic Council, reminded that this year the Arctic Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The Arctic Council today is the most authoritative intergovernmental platform for cooperation in the Arctic. It is important to maintain this status in the future. Nikolai Korchunov also noted that the report issued by RIAC can be used as a basis for developing effective decisions on the Arctic agenda.
Mikhail Kuznetsov, Director of FANU Vostokgosplan, emphasized the timeliness of the report and its usefulness from management perspective. According to him, it is not only the agenda of the Arctic Council that is important, but also ways to improve the work of the Council so that it becomes an even more comfortable platform for all participants. The main objectives for Russia in its upcoming Chairmanship of the Council are to preserve and strengthen the status of the Council, to maintain the interest of non-Arctic states in this topic, to promote the development of environmental protection activities, including issues of the marine environment and transitions to new types of fuel. It would be useful to pay special attention to the portfolio of projects, perhaps Russia could offer fundamentally new and useful areas of interaction for the region.
