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Russia reaffirms commitment to solve all problems through talks — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister stated that the problems should be resolved in full compliance with the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea

FAIRBANKS /United States/, May 12. /TASS/. Russia has reiterated its commitment to solve all problems through political negotiations at a meeting of the Arctic Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday.

"We reaffirmed our commitment to solve all problems that can emerge in the Arctic region through political negotiations, in full compliance with the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. It contains all the necessary provisions that should be applied when tackling any issues in the Arctic region," the minister emphasized. "Of course, we do not see any issues here whose solution would require the use of force, and our partners agree with that."

"The session, which is held every other year, was dedicated this time to discussing several draft documents," Lavrov went on to say. "In particular, we approved the declaration of the ministers of all eight Arctic countries, which reaffirms our commitment to the peaceful development of the Arctic, mutually beneficial cooperation with an emphasis on environmental activities. It also emphasizes the importance of joint steps to adapt to climate change."

Fairbanks, Alaska, hosted a meeting that brought together the top diplomats of the Arctic Council member-countries (Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the United States, Finland and Sweden as well as representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North).

The Arctic Council was established in 1996 to coordinate the activities of the countries in the region in matters of sustainable development of the Arctic. It does not address military issues or security issues in the region. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental high-level forum that facilitates cooperation in this region, particularly in environmental protection.