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Russia to do utmost to preserve peace and stability in Arctic, Lavrov assures

It is reported that the changing climate is a major challenge of contemporaneity

MOSCOW, March 22. /TASS/. Russia will do everything possible to preserve peace, stability and the socio-economic development in the Arctic, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his greetings to participants in the scientific-practical conference on climate change and permafrost melting posted on the ministry’s website on Wednesday.

"The set of scientific, economic and political factors constantly increases the international community’s attention to the Arctic region. We see our task in doing everything possible to preserve peace and stability, raise environmental sustainability and ensure favorable conditions for the social and economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation," the foreign minister said.

One of the methods to achieve this goal is to establish mutually beneficial international cooperation in the interests of developing the Extreme North while providing for a balanced combination of social, economic and nature conservation aspects, Lavrov pointed out.

"This is one of the priorities of the Russian chairmanship in the Arctic Council coming to a close in May this year," Russia’s top diplomat stressed.

The changing climate is a major challenge of contemporaneity, the foreign minister said.

"This set of issues is especially essential for high latitudes. Indicatively, pursuant to the available estimates, the growth rates of the air temperature in the Polar Region exceed the world’s average by more than two times," he said.

"The permafrost melting raises the risks for infrastructure facilities created in the region. However, the climate warming facilitates shipping along northern river and oceanic routes, boosting the potential for cargo deliveries to remote areas of the Extreme North," Lavrov said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry will continue rendering support to establishing and maintaining the domestic scientific community’s ties with foreign partners, he assured.

"This is especially important today, bearing in mind that many channels of official diplomatic communication remain blocked through the fault of some unfriendly states or are limited by the most minimal set of issues for discussion," Lavrov said.