Russia suspends annual payments to the budget of the Arctic Council

The decision will be in effect until practical work is resumed with the participation of all member countries

Russia has suspended the payment of annual contributions to the budget of the Arctic Council, RIA Novosti reports citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation statement.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the decision will remain in effect until practical work in this format is resumed with the participation of all member countries.

The Ministry said that it is about the implementation of joint projects in the field of preserving the Arctic ecosystem, conducting polar research, developing humanitarian cooperation, improving the quality of life and well-being of the population of the Far North.

“Today, the question of a possible withdrawal from the Arctic Council is not on a practical level,” the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

IAA PortNews has earlier reported that Russia had chaired the Arctic Council since May 2021 and two years later, in May 2023, transferred these powers to Norway. However, in March 2022, that is, during the chairmanship of the Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States in a joint statement noted serious obstacles to international cooperation in the Arctic. The signatories expressed their readiness to support the activities of the Arctic Council, but temporarily suspended participation in all its meetings.

The Arctic Council was created in 1996. This is a high-level intergovernmental forum for the development of international cooperation in the Arctic region. The Arctic Council is a unique forum for interaction between the governments of the Arctic states, permanent council members representing indigenous peoples of the vast Arctic region, as well as a number of extra-regional states and international organizations that have observer status in the Arctic Council. The council includes Russia, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, USA, Finland and Sweden.