MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. Russia’s decision to quit the Barents Euro-Arctic Council is only natural, as this platform has become ineffective and no longer meets the country's interests, the head of the Federation Council’s Committee on Defense and Security, Viktor Bondarev, has said.

"Russia's withdrawal from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council is a natural outcome of anti-Russian policies. Russia is no longer interested in being a member of these organizations, where it is disrespected, where its rights are restricted and where it is openly bullied," Bondarev wrote on his Telegram channel.

He added that for 30 years the Council had been an effective platform for cooperation in the Arctic, but now this mechanism has stopped working thanks to Scandinavian countries affiliated with the NATO bloc.

"This platform has become ineffective and inconvenient and it no longer meets the national interests of Russia," Bondarev said.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Russia’s decision to leave the Barents Euro-Arctic Council. The document states that the Council's activities are "virtually paralyzed," with Western members being to blame for this.