On May 15, 2023, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) held a round table on the results of Russian Chairmanship in the Arctic Council and the future of cooperation in the region at the press center of the Rossiya Segodnya News Agency. The experts discussed the main achievements of Russian diplomacy in strengthening the organization, and also made a forecast for the further development of the activities of the Arctic Council (AC) in the new global political environment.
During the round table RIAC working papers on the future of the Arctic Council were presented.
On May 15, 2023, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) held a round table on the results of Russian Chairmanship in the Arctic Council and the future of cooperation in the region at the press center of the Rossiya Segodnya News Agency. The experts discussed the main achievements of Russian diplomacy in strengthening the organization, and also made a forecast for the further development of the activities of the Arctic Council (AC) in the new global political environment.
During the round table RIAC working papers on the future of the Arctic Council were presented.
The speakers at the event included:
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Nikolai Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the AC, Senior Official of the Arctic Council from Russia
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Alexander Vylegzhanin, Head of the Program of International Law, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO- University), RIAC Member
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Nikita Belukhin, Junior Researcher at the Department of European Political Studies at RAS IMEMO
Key Points
Nikolai Korchunov
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Russia pays great attention to the Arctic region, its importance in world politics is growing. Moscow was guided in its activities by the interests of the sustainable development of the Arctic, the well-being of the indigenous and small peoples of the North. The Russian Federation fulfilled all obligations, the results of the chairmanship showed that Russia, as the largest Arctic country, should continue its work and not be limited to one format. Russia's work was in line with the Strategy for the Development of the Arctic Zone for the period until 2035. After a pause in the participation of Western countries in the work of the AC, the focus of activity was shifted to the Russian regions.
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It was possible to save the Arctic Council as an organization, on May 11, 2023, the chairmanship passed to Norway. The fact that Western countries have put their participation in the Arctic Council on hold has contributed to the fragmentation of international cooperation in the Arctic zone.
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Now everything depends on Norway. Will it be possible to achieve equal participation of all AC members? The Council should be based on common interests. For Russia, the Arctic Council is one of the forms of cooperation. The lack of interaction will pose a dilemma for the organization itself: projects agreed in 2021 at the Reykjavik summit cannot be carried out without cooperation. According to the results of that summit, the Arctic was supposed to become a space of stability and dialogue. It is important that our partners, not just in words but in deeds, strive to put this provision into practice.
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It was important to make sure that the partners were ready to confirm the Reykjavik decisions and move forward on their basis. Among the documents adopted at that time, one can single out the Strategic Plan of the Arctic Council for the period until 2030. Norway's recent statement as the new Chair of the Council indicated the intention to keep the AC to continue political cooperation.
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The AC operates on the principle of consensus - without Russia, the Council will basically not be able to work. Nevertheless, it was possible to obtain assurances from partners that the Arctic Council would be preserved. At the same time, the work of the Council is based on joint initiatives. What will be the cost of maintaining this organization? Why will it be preserved? The quality of work and the range of issues solved will suffer the most. "Soft security" is also likely to be overtaken by other issues.
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For the Russian Federation, the Arctic Council is of interest only when it complies with Russian doctrinal documents on the Arctic zone. If membership in the AC contributes to it, we will continue our work. If we see that participation in the Council hinders us, we may consider ending our participation.
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The role of chairman obliges Norway to a certain degree of impartiality. Much has been said about whether our experts will be invited. Norway declared its intention to keep the AC as part of eight powers and not to discriminate against anyone. Virtual decision-making is also acceptable; at the same time, it is necessary to understand how this affects the efficiency of the organization.
Alexander Vylegzhanin
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Preserving the Arctic Council in such a difficult environment is a major success for the Russian Foreign Ministry. If we read the texts of speeches of other Arctic countries, we will see violation of the traditions, the spirit of cooperation that existed before. The Russian Federation and the United States have always maintained a dialogue in the Arctic, even despite the problematic relations in other regions. The famous Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears in the Arctic was negotiated even during the U.S. aggression in Vietnam; in 1973 this document was signed. And right after the creation of the AC, Russia condemned the U.S. invasion of Iraq, their war crimes in the country; however, Russia did not raise this issue within the AC.
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For the Russian Federation, as for the largest Arctic power, it is not clear why common interests have been sacrificed to the political situation. In 2021, in Reykjavik, all eight Arctic states agreed on many issues; in 2022, many of the achievements were destroyed. This situation is complex; there are different alternatives of the future for the AC. If the Council ceases to exist, eight countries will all emerge defeated.
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The institution of mediation is used when it is not necessary to take sides. Norway has already taken its stand; it cannot mediate. But it may have the authority to return the AC to normal. Russia has never provoked conflicts in the Arctic. And different assessments of events in other regions should not be transferred to the Arctic.
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The AC operates on clear legal terms, based on the Ottawa Declaration. The main condition of the declaration is consensus among all eight Arctic states. Accordingly, without the Russian Federation the Council itself would cease to exist; while it is possible that some other platform will be created. The power of the Arctic Council is not only in the cooperation of 8 states, but also in the institution of observers (which brings together world's leading economies). Another unique mechanism is participation of Indigenous Peoples of the North in the work of the Council.
Nikita Belukhin
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One can notice the Arctic unity disappearing. Non-Arctic countries benefit the most from this. The biggest losers are the indigenous peoples of the North. The consensus of the 8 states allowed them to "invite" non-Arctic countries to the region on their own terms. Now these countries can balance and play on the contradictions of the Arctic countries.
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First, the climate knows no boundaries; with the termination of cooperation, the challenges of preserving the environment in the Arctic may worsen. Secondly, sanctions make it difficult for nations to communicate and cross borders. For example, the loss of contacts between the Norwegian and Russian Saami is detrimental to the preservation of their traditional crafts. The upcoming Norwegian chairmanship will test their will to mediate a new crisis of cooperation.
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The organization needs to focus on addressing major transnational threats that will force the Arctic countries to cooperate. An example of such a challenge is the recovery of sunken submarines from the bottom of the sea. Tracking climate change in the Arctic is also impossible without the involvement of data from Russian scientists. The radicalization of relations is not in the interests of all Arctic states.
