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MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. Russia continues cooperating with other countries in the region on the Arctic despite a difficult situation in the world, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large, senior official at the Arctic Council Vladimir Barbin said on Friday.
"The main tasks that Russia's foreign policy in the Arctic is tackling are to preserve the region as a region of peace and cooperation. Despite difficult times on the international arena, we manage to maintain cooperation in the Arctic," Barbin said at a conference devoted to Polar Explorer Day.
He added that Asian countries show interest in developing the region. "We are on a competitive market, and our Asian partners, in particular China, India, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, show great interest in developing the Arctic and implementing projects there," he said.
The diplomat stressed that Russia is also growing increasingly interested in this region. "A conference on economic development of the Arctic will take place in the framework of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 18, that will focus on different aspects of regional development," he said adding that more than 20 ministries and agencies are tasked with fulfilling tasks in the region. The Russian Foreign Ministry is tasked with coordinating foreign policy in the Arctic.