Norway in ‘process’ with Russia to transfer Arctic Council chair

Norway is “in a constructive process” with Russia to ensure a handover of the chairmanship of the Arctic Council after the intergovernmental body was suspended in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, according to a senior official, Report informs via Bloomberg.

Meetings of the Arctic Council, an eight-country group that includes the US and current chair Russia, have been put on hold since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. The handover will take place in a virtual meeting that is unlikely to include any government ministers, Morten Hoglund, Norway’s Senior Arctic Official, told reporters via a webcast.

All eight Arctic nations — Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, the US and Canada — will need to agree on the “full setup” for the transition, said Hoglund, who is also the incoming chairman of the council, adding he is “optimistic.”

The Arctic Council is the main intergovernmental forum for cooperation on Arctic issues, including climate change, indigenous issues, and governance. In June, it said it would resume work on projects that didn’t involve Russian participation. About 70 projects, representing roughly half of the work approved before February, are running again.

The race for influence in the Arctic has been intensifying. China, which sees the region as a transport route to Europe, is one of 13 states with observer status on the council. Last year it said it would not support excluding Russia from the council, saying there is no legal mechanism to do so.

Norway’s main goal for its two-year chairmanship is to “make sure that the Arctic Council survives,” Hoglund said, adding his country also aims to resume “all relevant communication on all types of activities” after the handover. The Nordic country’s priorities for the council include: climate, sustainable economic development and looking after people in the Arctic, including engaging youth and strengthening the role and voice of indigenous groups, he said.