West’s Actions Seriously Harm Arctic Council – Russian Foreign Ministry
Arctic. (File)
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The West’s actions to «freeze» the work of the Arctic Council seriously harm its effectiveness and authority, Director of the Department of European Issues at the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladislav Maslennikov told Sputnik. Interaction between the Arctic Council countries is currently «frozen,» the diplomat recalled. At the West’s initiative, political dialogue remains suspended, meetings of the committee of senior officials are not being held, and the Arctic Council’s project support tool is not being used. Activity continues mainly at the expert level, with working bodies meeting only in a remote format. «This situation, of course, causes serious damage to the council’s effectiveness, undermines its international authority and attractiveness for non-regional observer countries,» Maslennikov said. Russia will strive to restore the full-fledged work of the Arctic Council, he added. The Arctic Council includes eight states: Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the US.
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