... it is the main logistical centre in the northern part of the country with a large military airfield, stationing the Lapland Wing of the Air Force, and has the necessary infrastructure for a logistical centre as it is where the Jaeger Brigade, the “Arctic” unit of the Finnish Army, is based. Rovaniemi is also just an hour's drive away from Finland's—and Western Europe's—largest artillery range, Rovajärvi, where Finnish and allied forces hold regular exercises. The latest exercises
took place
in May: at first, cooperation exercises were only carried out by the US military, but then,...
... geostrategic rationale than economic
On July 11, 2024, on the margins of the NATO Summit in Washington, the US, Canada and Finland announced a new trilateral consortium—the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact—with an explicit intention ... ... regions and enforce international norms and treaties, a senior US administration official told reporters.
The Future of the Arctic Council. RIAC Report
The reference to international norms might sound ironic, when it comes from a country that has never ...
... understand that the Arctic Council functioned on the fundamental principles of the Ottawa declaration and decisions within the council were taken on a consensus basis. Traditional security and military component was kept deliberately out of the scope of the Arctic Council. With Finland joining NATO and Sweden next in line for its membership, one may argue that geopolitics has already taken over the Arctic Council. Under such a new framework how overall cooperation in the council resumes is a debatable question. Norway’s recent ...
... in the Arctic
On June 17, 2021, the Embassy of Finland held a discussion on RIAC and MGIMO report
"The Arctic Council: Status and Activities"
, as well as a discussion on international cooperation in the Arctic. Ambassadors of the seven Arctic states to the Russian Federation (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Canada, USA, Iceland) and Nikolai Korchunov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador at Large, took part in the discussion.
RIAC was represented at the event by Andrey Kortunov, RIAC Director General; Ivan Timofeev,...
... meeting with Antti Helantera, Finnish Ambassador to Russia.
The conversation focused on the current state of relations between Russia and the European Union, security challenges in the Euro-Atlantic space, as well as the prospects for bilateral Russia-Finland cooperation. In addition, the priorities of Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and the pertinent tasks of the institutional development of this organization were addressed.
... cooperation amongst themselves supported by legal and institutional mechanisms currently available. This should probably happen within the framework of the Arctic Council that facilitates political cooperation among all Arctic nations.
How do you assess Finland's chairmanship in the Arctic Council? Have there been any successful results so far?
The Arctic Council (AC) is an intergovernmental body — often referred to as the high-level intergovernmental forum. Its chair rotates every second year. Finland received the chairmanship ...
On July 26, 2016, RIAC Program Manager for the Arctic and Asia-Pacific Lyudmila Filippova met with Executive Chairman of
East Office of Finnish Industries
Esko Aho to discuss future cooperation between the Russian International Affairs Council and the Finnish business association.
The participants ...
... and dropping energy prices.
RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov presented RIAC’s current and future Arctic projects and plans and discussed bilateral cooperation of Russian and Finnish think tanks in drawing up the agenda for the approaching Finland’s presidency in the Arctic Council.
... escorting and towing of merchant ships. The icebreaking operations vary with the ice condition and may last from 500 to 1,100 working days a year.
The guests met Finnish Ambassador for Arctic Affairs
A
leksi
Härkönen
to discuss key issues of Finland's Arctic policy, as well as priorities of Helsinki's current presidency in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council and in the Arctic Council in 2017-2018.
Press tour "Arctic Issues and Arctic Policy"
... Nordic regions of Russia, and particularly to open a Consulate-General of Finland in Murmansk (currently Murmansk is only served by a branch of the Finnish St. Petersburg Consulate). Through its participation in international cooperative projects in the Arctic Finland hopes to stimulate growth in its less-developed northern regions, especially in the sectors of transport, logistics and telecommunications.
As a part of the implementation process of Finland’s Arctic strategy, Finpro, the Finnish export ...