On December 6, Artur Chilingarov, Special Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, President of the Association of Polar Explorers, met with Ambassador of India to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma as part of the 8th International Forum The Arctic: Today and the Future.

During the meeting, the head of the Indian diplomatic mission said India was interested in studying the Arctic, and hoped for the development of humanitarian, scientific and business cooperation between Russia and India.

Artur Chilingarov spoke about promising areas for the development of the Arctic, in which Russia and India could develop cooperation.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed on the need to establish closer working relations in order to draw up proposals and arrange projects involving mutual cooperation.

"India has the experience and expertise of working in harsh polar conditions. I know this from Indian projects in Antarctica. Therefore, I have no doubt that you will cope well in the Arctic," Chilingarov said during the meeting with the Ambassador.

The 8th International Forum The Arctic: Today and the Future takes place in St. Petersburg on December 5-7. More than 2,000 people from 40 Russian regions and 20 countries applied to participate in the forum. Arctic.ru and Rossiya Segodnya provide information support to the forum.