Russia is wrapping up its Arctic Council chairmanship, which will rotate to Norway in May. According to Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov, Russia is ending its chairmanship of the council, remaining open to countries that are willing to develop a peaceful Arctic.

“Russia has fulfilled all its obligations under the chairmanship. <...> We have all witnessed that it is impossible to think of Arctic development without Russia. <...> We are completing our chairmanship while remaining open to all states that are ready to develop the Arctic in the name of peace,” Chekunkov said at the meeting of the Council for the Development of the Far East, Arctic and Antarctic at the Federation Council on topical issues of ensuring national interests in the Russian Arctic zone.

The minister stressed that, despite the actions of unfriendly countries, Russia’s chairmanship had produced more results for the residents of the Russian Arctic than had been planned. Last year, Russia held a number of events involving experts from friendly countries, including China, India, Mongolia, Brazil, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Russia hosted 43 events in 10 regions with a total of over 28,000 participants, and for the first time, the Arctic track events took place on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and Eastern Economic Forum.