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Putin to discuss Arctic development with government on Wednesday

The general area of Russia’s Arctic territory is around 3 million square kilometers (18% of the total Russian territory)

MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold another meeting with the Russian government today, the Kremlin press service said on Wednesday.

"The main topic on the agenda will be the development of the Russian Federation’s Arctic zone. It is also planned to consider several relevant issues," the press service said.

The general area of Russia’s Arctic territory is around 3 million square kilometers (18% of the total Russian territory), including 2.2 million sq km of land, where over 2.5 million people live. This is less than two percent of Russia’s population and around 40% of the total Arctic population.

Putin earlier said that the government has lately assigned greater priority to issues of exploring and developing the Far North, preserving its unique nature, historical and cultural heritage. The Russian president also repeatedly noted the importance of strengthening international cooperation in the region, stressing that Russia will adhere to peaceful exploration of the Arctic while observing its own national interests and respecting the interests of other countries.

In 2014 Putin signed a law on Russia’s Arctic zone which includes Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Regions; Nenets, Chukotka and Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Districts; some parts of the Komi and Yakutia Republics; Krasnoyarsk Krai; land and islands in the Arctic Ocean. The Russian Arctic zone borders with the United States, Canada, Norway and Denmark (Greenland).

In 2015 the state commission on Arctic development was established in Russia.