ARKHANGELSK, September 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin marked on Wednesday Russia’s special responsibility for the Arctic, saying it would be taking care of the region’s environment.

"Russia, one third of whose territory is Extreme North regions, has special responsibility for the Arctic regions," he said in a welcome address to the participants and guests of the International Conference on Security in the Arctic.

"That is why our priorities in the Arctic zone are in ensuring a balance between an active economic activity and preservation of unique environment, careful attitude to culture and traditional way of live of indigenous peoples," he said in the welcome address read out by Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev.

Putin marked that Russia favoured the strengthening of cooperation with the countries members of the Arctic Council on all directions.

He said natural processes in the region were directly influencing the climate and ecology of the whole planet. Putin also expressed confidence that practical recommendations for the efficient settlement of tasks facing the international community in the Arctic would emerge at the conference.