MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov on Thursday receiving Iceland’s new Ambassador to Russia Arni Thor Sigurdsson and discussed with him the two countries’ cooperation in the Arctic Council and Russia’s upcoming chairmanship of that organization.

"The participants in the meeting discussed the current state of Russian-Icelandic relations and the prospects for the resumption of political contacts as restrictive measures are lifted, as well as topical regional issues, including cooperation within the Arctic Council, taking into account the upcoming transition of chairmanship from Iceland to Russia in May 2021 for the next two years," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

They also exchanged views on topical global issues. The ministry noted that the ambassador had presented copies of his credentials to Titov at the meeting.

The Arctic Council was formally established in 1996 in accordance with the Ottawa Declaration. It is a high-level intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation in the region, especially in environmental protection. The council’s members are Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the United States, Finland and Sweden.