On October 12-13, Moscow will host the international conference International Cooperation in the Arctic: New Challenges and Vectors of Development, organized by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) with the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Today the prospects for involving non-regional states in the Arctic cooperation, as well as for the transformation of the Arctic Council into an international organization and the extension of the list of issues within its scope are high on the agenda. Development of the emerging field of the Arctic law is also of special significance, and determining the parameters of sustainable development of the Arctic is an important strategic goal for the years ahead," the organization's website says.

The conference will be opened by RIAC President Igor Ivanov and Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Commission for Arctic Development Dmitry Rogozin. Several plenary sessions will then take place: The Role of the Arctic Council in Ensuring Peace, Cooperation and Stable Development of the Arctic, Legal Regulations in the Arctic Region and Economic Potential and Projects of Development of Arctic Territories. On the second day, speakers will discuss international cooperation in the region, Arctic navigation, security and more.

Attending the conference will be Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov; Special Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Artur Chilingarov; Chairman of Ferring Pharmaceuticals  Board of Directors rederik Paulsen; Russian, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish and Canadian officials of the Arctic Council;  other representatives of specialized ministries, departments and big business; and leading experts of member and observer states of the Arctic Council.

The RIAC website will feature a broadcast of parts of the conference's sessions.