Ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council will be held on May 19-20 in the capital of Iceland. It will be attended, among others, by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
The US and Canada are committed to keeping the Arctic a region of peaceful cooperation, TASS reported. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this on Wednesday ahead of a meeting in Reykjavik with Canadian Foreign Minister Mark Garneau.
“The U.S. and Canada have a shared commitment to working to preserve the region as a platform for peaceful cooperation and positive action, whether it’s on sustainable development, combating climate change, advancing science or looking out for the interests and well-being of indigenous peoples”, – Blinken said. – “We look forward to joining together in the work done by Iceland and then prepare for the handover of the Russian presidency.”
Garneau noted the importance of taking indigenous interests and development in the region into account environmental change.
“Canada and the US have a strong relationship and we have a lot in common with regard to the Arctic and the security of the region. We face the challenges of pandemic and economic recovery”, – he said.
A transcript of the conversation, held ahead of the Arctic Council (AC) ministerial meeting, was distributed by the State Department press office.