In May 2023, Russia will hand over the presidency of the Arctic Council to Norway in an online meeting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov invited official representatives of the Arctic Council to participate in a transition ceremony in Salekhard. However, Norway said the event would take place online and would be limited to civil officials rather than political leaders.

Morten Høglund, the Senior Arctic Official (SAO) for Norway, noted that, to the best of his knowledge, there would be no ministers at the meeting.

He also added that the eight Arctic countries, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, the United States and Canada, would have to coordinate the transition.

Norway also said the main task of its two-year presidency was to see that the Arctic Council would survive. During this period, Norway will prioritize climate issues, sustainable economic development and care for Arctic residents, including efforts to attract young people and to increase the role and influence of indigenous Arctic nations.