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Czech, US, French, UK delegations to attend forum of North’s indigenous peoples in Russia

More than 500 people will attend the forum

YEKATERINBURG, March 20. /TASS/. Diplomats and businesses from the Czech Republic, the U.S, the UK, France and Germany will come to Russia’s northern city of Salekhard to participate in the eighth international forum of the low-numbered indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, which is due on March 23-25, press service of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District said on Monday.

"We shall welcome representatives of the Arctic Council’s secretariat of indigenous peoples, of the Association of World Reindeer Herders (WRH), the International Center for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR)," the press service said. "We also expect diplomats from Azerbaijan, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, the Czech Republic, as well as businesses from Iceland and Germany."

The forum participants will discuss aspects of the northern reindeer husbandry, "as well as the regions’ cooperation at organizations like the Northern Forum, the Arctic Council, the Arctic University, as well as at the Association of indigenous low-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East," the government said. "Discussions will be devoted to keeping traditional skills, measures for access to land, forest and water biological resources, regulations of indigenous peoples’ activities and responsible use of natural resources."

More than 500 people will attend the forum. Yamal will be represented by 35 people of indigenous ethnic groups: Nenets, Khanty, Selkup and Komi. At the forum, the Association of the indigenous peoples will have its congress to elect new leaders for a new four-year term. The Association unites representatives of 41 peoples from Russia’s 44 regions. About 250,000 people in Russia are of indigenous peoples.

About 42,000 representatives of the indigenous peoples live in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. Almost 17,000 of them live nomadic lives, and are involved in fishing and reindeer husbandry.