ARKHANGELSK, February 26. /TASS/. A meeting of BRICS Joint Task Force on Disaster Risk Management will take place in Arkhangelsk in April, 2024, the regional administration's press service said.

"BRICS Joint Task Force on Disaster Risk Management's meeting will be held in Arkhangelsk in April, 2024. The international meeting's participants plan to discuss vectors of cooperation in protecting the population and territories from natural and man-made disasters," the press service said.

Russia's Minister of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov at the Russia EXPO international exhibition visited the Arkhangelsk Region's stand, where he discussed the upcoming meeting with the region's deputy head of the government Dmitry Rozhin.

The choice of Arkhangelsk was not incidental. The Northern Sea Route passes the region, and its exploitation bears certain risks of man-made accidents on sea transport and on aircraft, involved in ensuring the navigation safety. Accident prevention becomes a vital issue due to the increasing cargo traffic.

Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry has organized in Arkhangelsk the Arctic Integrated Emergency Rescue Center. It focuses on response to emergency situations that may arise in the Arctic - extinguishing fires, conducting diving operations, cleaning the water surface from petroleum products, and providing assistance to those in distress in the circumpolar territories of the Russian Federation.

The Arkhangelsk Center controls the region, the inland and territorial waters of the White, Barents and Kara Seas adjacent to the Arkhangelsk Region. In the event of a major emergency in another part of the country, the Center's specialists may be sent to carry out emergency rescue and other urgent work there. In 2024, the ministry's two aviation units will be deployed in Arkhangelsk: Mi-8 helicopters, designed to operate in Arctic conditions.