The Arctic should be a region free of conflicts, the United States is committed to this, said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on May 19. A transcript of his conversation in Reykjavik with Canadian Foreign Minister Mark Garneau before the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council (AC) was published by the US Department of State.
“The United States views the Arctic region as a conflict-free region, where countries act responsibly and where economic development and investment is made in a sustainable, safe and transparent manner that also respects the environment, climate, interests and culture of indigenous peoples,” he said. …
According to him, the United States and Canada have a “shared commitment to work to preserve the Arctic region as a platform for peaceful cooperation and affirmative action” in the fight against climate change, caring for the interests of indigenous peoples and promoting science.
Blinken stressed that the United States is “looking forward to” starting to unite in work with Iceland during the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, and then preparing for the transfer of the chairmanship to Russia.
In turn, Marc Garneau noted the importance of taking into account the interests of indigenous peoples and the development of the region. He said that Canada and the United States are linked by strong relations and common views in the vision of the security of the Arctic region.
The ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council will take place May 19-20 in Reykjavik. It will also be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. At the meeting, the chairmanship of the AU for the period 2021-2023 will pass from Iceland to Russia.
Russia also proposed holding meetings of military experts from the countries participating in the Council within the AU.
The Arctic Council was founded in 1996. It is an intergovernmental forum that helps to strengthen cooperation between countries in high latitudes. The council members are Russia, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, USA, Finland and Sweden. 12 non-Arctic countries, including Great Britain, Germany, India, China and France, have observer status on the council.
In March, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance is stepping up its activity in the Arctic. According to him, this is due to the presence of Russian forces there. At the same time, Moskvan has repeatedly called on Western countries to abandon the militarization of the region and to cooperate. On January 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Sereide, during which he drew attention to the deteriorating security situation in the High North. According to him, the buildup of military activity by Norway, the advancement of NATO infrastructure to the Russian borders are fraught with negative consequences for the Arctic.