From May 15 to May 18, a regular meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (SCPAR) was held in Greenland, in which parliamentarians from Canada, Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the European Parliament, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia participated, as well as observers from North and North-Western councils. The delegation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation at the meeting was represented by the State Duma deputy Georgy Karlov.
A constructive exchange of views on Arctic issues related to climate change and its consequences, development of telecommunications, new technologies, education and science, and adaptation of people living in the Arctic to new living conditions was held.
G. Karlov in his speech spoke about the forum “Arktika – Territory of Dialogue” held in Arkhangelsk in late March. He stressed that Russia regards the Arctic exclusively as a territory for international dialogue and cooperation. This was also said by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Arctic Forum – Territory of Dialogue and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Fairbanks, USA, on May 12.
The deputy noted that in the State Duma much attention is paid to the legislative regulation of cross-border cooperation, including, at the level of the subjects of the Russian Federation. He expressed confidence that the pending bill “On the Basics of Cross-Border Cooperation in the Russian Federation” will open new opportunities for interaction not only in the economy and the social sphere, but also in the sphere of countering international terrorism.
The Russian side also supported the Committee’s initiative to set up task forces on priority issues of Arctic cooperation in the field of ecology, telecommunications infrastructure, business and economy, and suggested that more information be given on the activities of the Committee through the media and the Internet, involving scientists, experts, businessmen in the discussion of Arctic issues , actively promoting the interests of the Committee in the Arctic Council.