Chinese delegation to attend 3rd Arctic Circle Conference

A Chinese delegation will attend the 3rd Arctic Circle Assembly in Iceland, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Russia responsible for the Arctic, will take care of its environment

Russian President Vladimir Putin marked on Wednesday Russia’s special responsibility for the Arctic, saying it would be taking care of the region’s environment.

All members of Arctic Council speak against politicization of organization (source/Tass)

All permanent members of the Arctic Council as well as observer countries have spoken against politicization of the organization’s work, a source in the Russian delegation that took part in the work of a ministerial meeting of the Council in Iqaluit, Canada, told TASS.

Canada’s Arctic Council Chairmanship: Bad for Nature, Locals (Greenpeace)

Under Canada’s leadership, the Arctic Council has not only failed to take serious action to address climate change, but it has taken decisive action to make it worse, Greenpeace said in a report released earlier this month.

Russian diplomat calls for joint use of emerging opportunities in Arctic

The opportunities that are emerging in the Arctic should be used jointly for the benefit of the whole region, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and senior official at the Arctic Council, Vladimir Barbin, said on Monday.

No need for NATO presence in Arctic (Lavrov)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday he sees no need of NATO presence in the Arctic.
“We firmly believe that there are no problems in the Arctic which demand NATO participation, moreover, there are no problems there which demand military decisions,” the minister said during a public lecture on Russia’s foreign policy.
According to Lavrov, long before the Ukrainian crisis, NATO said and continues saying that the military factor in the Arctic will increase amid the escalation of the fight for the resources.

“The Arctic is a territory of dialogue,” the minister stressed. “We use this slogan for regular forums in Russia, and the work of the Arctic Council, to a large extent, is drawn up in this way,” he said.

Arctic Council Needs Russia, to Continue Working With It

WASHINGTON, October 1  - The Arctic Council needs Russia, and is supportive of Moscow's continued engagement in its work, said Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., US Special Representative to the Arctic said during the conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
"We work with Russia now. We expect to continue to work with Russia," Papp, who will take over the Arctic Council chairmanship in 2015, said Tuesday.
US Representative to the Arctic noted that Ambassador Bolton just came back from Vladivostok where he worked on fisheries agreements.

Arctique: Washington souhaite coopérer avec Moscou

Washington souhaite coopérer avec Moscou dans l'exploration de l'Arctique malgré sa décision de boycotter la 4e réunion du Conseil de l'Arctique qui s'est tenue les 6-7 août en Russie, a déclaré vendredi le secrétaire du Conseil de sécurité de Russie Nikolaï Patrouchev.

"Les Américains n'ont pas expliqué leur absence, mais ils se disent prêts à coopérer en Arctique lors de contacts bilatéraux", a indiqué M.Patrouchev dans une interview à RIA Novosti.

Arctic Council Signs Oil Spill Response Deal

KIRUNA, May 15 (RIA Novosti)

 – Foreign ministers from the Arctic Council’s member states have signed a legally binding agreement on preventing and responding to oil spills in the Arctic to protect the region’s waters, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
The treaty is “an effective tool protecting the Arctic environment at a time of active exploration of the opening Arctic deposits, and shows the firm responsibility of the Arctic states for the situation in the region,” Lavrov said at the opening of the council’s ministerial session in Sweden’s northernmost city of Kiruna.
Lavrov said he “welcomed” the decision to expand the council by granting the so-called observer status to new states. China, Italy and four other Asian countries - India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore - gained observer status on the Council at a meeting on Wednesday. The Council also said it “positively” viewed the idea of granting the European Union observer status. However, a decision on the EU status has been deferred because of Canada’s concern over an EU ban on import of seal products, which came into effect in August.