Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) is co-organizing a Youth Day on 8 April at the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum.

Building communication is the fundamental idea of the forum’s entire Youth Day programme. Youth Day will kick off with a networking session in a unique format that combines networking and education. Participants will be able to get to know each other, share their experience, and socialize with people from the business and science communities.

During the Youth Day business programme, the participants will discuss prospects and problems inherent in developing oil and gas fields in the Arctic, the role of alternative energy in the development of the Arctic, environmental activities among young people in the North, infrastructure development in the Far North, opportunities for self-fulfilment and career growth for young people, and support for youth entrepreneurship in the Arctic.

“The main job of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs is to maximize opportunities for the self-fulfilment of young people in our country and help them in the activities that are now in demand. The participation of young people in such major international events helps to achieve this goal”, Rosmolodezh Director Alexander Bugayev said.

Leading scientists from the Kurchatov Institute Research Center will hold lectures on the environmental and radiation situation in the region, the processing and recycling of municipal solid waste, bioenergy, and life-support technologies, among other things.

The Mentor Lounge will be open to students, entrepreneurs, and specialists at the Rosmolodezh booth over the entire duration of the Forum. Experienced mentors will help diagnose problems faced by young entrepreneurs and find solutions for business.

Graduates from the ‘Arctic. Made in Russia’ International Youth Educational Forum 2017 will take active part in the Youth Day.

(forumarctica)

The discussion ‘Talking Barents: Prospects and Formats of Cooperation’ will be one of the central sessions the ‘Coastal Territories’ business programme pillar of the International Arctic Forum. During the session, participants representing the countries of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) will discuss priorities for cross-border cooperation and promising projects that can be implemented jointly in the interests of the Far North.

Since it was founded more than a quarter of a century ago, the Council has proven to be one of the most effective organizations for cooperation in the region. The BEAC works to ensure the region’s sustainable development and cooperation in matters concerning the economy, science, technology, infrastructure, and tourism, and also to facilitate the implementation of projects that aim to improve the lives of indigenous people of the North. The parties involved in projects that are being implemented in the region work jointly to solve strategic objectives. As a result of their joint efforts, the countries have managed to create a stable area of trust and open dialogue in Northern Europe.

One of the key themes of the session will be a discussion of the ‘Transport and Logistics of the Barents Region’ project, which focuses on developing and enhancing the efficiency of the region’s transport system well as ensuring environmental protection with the creation of ‘green corridors’.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Head of the International Barents Secretariat Tomas Hallberg and the speakers will include: Magdalena Andersson, Governor of Sweden’s Västerbotten County; Pentti Malinen, Region Mayor at Finland’s Regional Council of Kainuu; Nikolai Korchunov, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Marina Kovtun, Governor of Russia’s Murmansk Region. Lars Georg Fordal, Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat, will also join the discussion. Norway is set to take over for Sweden and chair the BEAC this year.

“Given the complex international situation, multilateral cooperation in the Barents region remains an important channel of dialogue with our Northern European partners and allows for discussing the common issues our countries face in a business-like and constructive manner. In this regard, the BEAC is a successful example of collaboration that demonstrates strong immunity to the fluctuations in the political situation”, Korchunov said.

“Maintaining cooperation and an open dialogue on matters concerning the development of the North is one of the most important strategic objectives. The Arctic as a whole and the Barents region in particular are of interest to numerous countries and can only be successfully developed if there is well-coordinated interaction between the partners, so it is extremely important for us to develop international relations in this region. I am certain that the International Arctic Forum will serve as another effective channel to exchange experience and work out joint practical solutions.

For its part, Russia will do everything possible to preserve stable good-neighbourly relations and an atmosphere of mutually beneficial cooperation in this region”, Adviser to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov said in comments on the importance of this theme.

The ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum will be held in St. Petersburg on 9–10 April. Three pillars will form the basis of the business programme: ‘Coastal Territories’, ‘The Open Ocean’, and ‘Sustainable Development’, which will all be united under the key theme of ‘The Arctic: An Ocean of Opportunity’.

(forumarctica)

A series of cultural events for guests and participants will be held as part of the International Arctic Forum. Forum guests will be able to attend the ‘Living Arctic Legend’ traveling exhibition dedicated to the Icebreaker Krasin, meet the artists behind the winning films of the 2nd ARCTIC OPEN Arctic Countries International Film Festival, and learn the histories of the people linked to the development of the Russian Arctic and the Northern Sea Route. St. Petersburg’s major theatres, museums, and exhibitions will also present their own cultural programmes.

In addition to learning about the history of the Icebreaker Krasin by visiting a dedicated exhibition, during the International Arctic Forum the participants will be able to attend Icebreaker Krasin Museum itself for free by presenting a badge. The Icebreaker Krasin is a cultural and historic monument, significant not just to St. Petersburg, but to all of Russia. The ship became a symbol of Russia’s achievements in the exploration of the Arctic Ocean. The legendary icebreaker Krasin was the flagship of the Soviet expeditionary fleet, helped save Umberto Nobile and the crew of his downed airship, took part in the 9th Kara expedition, was the first to reach Cape Zhelaniya, was the first to guide warships along the Northern Sea Route, and heroically took part in the battle against the German fleet in World War II.

A multimedia exhibition highlighting the history of the talented hydrographer, polar explorer, and seafarer Nikolai Evgenov will be held as part of the Unknown Arctic Heroes International Arctic Project. Evgenov served as the assistant to the head of the hydrographic expeditions on the Vaygach (1913) and Taimyr (1914–1915) icebreaker steamers, participating in the discovery of Severnaya Zemlya (which occurred during Evgenov’s watch) and other Arctic islands, and traversed the Northern Sea Route from Vladivostok to Arkhangelsk. The project was supported by the Russian Geographical Society, Russian State Arctic and Antarctic Museum, Arkhangelsk Regional Museum, Association of Polar Explorers, and Russian oceanologist and politician Vladimir Chukov. The project received financial support from the Presidential Grants Foundation. The exhibition will be presented at several cultural platforms: the State Budget Professional Educational Institution ‘Vorobyovy Gory,’ the Russian State Arctic and Antarctic Museum (SPb), and the Arkhangelsk Regional Museum. A film about Nikolai Evgenov will be submitted to film festivals.

The Forum cultural programme will also include film screenings and meetings with the artists behind two winning films from the 2nd ARCTIC OPEN Arctic Countries International Film Festival: the art film The Lord Eagle (Yakutia, Russia) featuring a meeting with the film’s director Eduard Novikov and the documentary The Great North Route featuring a meeting with the film’s author Leonid Kruglov.

St. Petersburg’s major theatres, museums, and exhibitions will also be holding their own programmes during the International Arctic Forum. Among them are the Mariinsky Theatre, Mikhailovsky Theatre, Russian State Arctic and Antarctic Museum, D. D. Shostakovich St. Petersburg Philharmonia, State Museum of Urban Sculpture, Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain House, Manege Central Exhibition Hall, Peter and Paul Fortress, and more.

Cultural Programme: https://forumarctica.ru/en/cultural-programme/

The 2^nd Arctic Municipalities Forum will be held as a separate event during the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5^th International Arctic Forum. The Arctic Municipalities Forum provides a platform for leaders of rural and urban municipalities from the Arctic and the heads of federal ministries, departments, and companies to address important issues concerning the social development of Arctic territories and establish a vertical system for collaboration on operational issues. The event was initiated by the Arctic Municipalities Association with the support of the Administration of the Arkhangelsk Region Governor.

“Establishing a dialogue between the municipal, regional, and federal levels of government is an extremely important objective that will lay the foundation for the breakthrough development of the Russian Arctic once it is resolved”, Kobyakov said. “Local leaders should feel like they are on a par with the leaders of Arctic affairs at all levels of the country’s leadership and clearly understand our common objectives and the importance of developing social areas of focus. After all, this is what will ensure a higher standard of living for people in the Arctic”.

The participants in the event will discuss problems involving the development of rural and urban municipalities in the Arctic zone in accordance with the state and regional strategic programmes, improving the quality of life of the population, support measures, sharing best practices, and the participation of the region’s residents in infrastructure projects. Additional issues to be addressed at the 2^nd Arctic Municipalities Forum include small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, medical care, education, and staffing for the Arctic as well as the needs and initiatives of the population of the Russian Arctic itself. Targeted work will also be carried out to develop relations among the country’s regions and improve the local self-governance system.

The 1^st Arctic Municipalities Forum took place as part of the business programme of the International Arctic Forum in 2017 and was initiated by the Administration of the Arkhangelsk Region Governor. “During the past Arctic Forum, we organized a pilot event for the leaders of the Arctic municipalities to talk with representatives of the Russian Cabinet of Ministers and the heads of leading Russian and international companies”, Arkhangelsk Region Governor Igor Orlov said. “And the effect was extraordinary. They felt like they were an extremely important part of the ‘Balanced Regional Policy’ state programme, which aims to provide conditions enabling each region to have the necessary and sufficient resources to ensure decent living conditions for their citizens, comprehensive development, and enhance the competitiveness of regional economies. And they also appreciated the importance of promoting territories that are a priority geopolitically”.

Arkhangelsk Region Governor spokesman Lev Levit said that the programme of the 2^nd Arctic Municipalities Forum would include presentations by Russian Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Alexander Krutikov about the basic approaches in the new strategic plan for the development of Russia’s Arctic regions, by Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dmitry Kobylkin about the government’s policy regarding the region’s ecology and natural resources, and by Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation Director General Alexey Likhachev, who will inform the heads of the Arctic municipalities about plans for the development of the Northern Sea Route and the coastal infrastructure of the Arctic.

(Arctic Municipalities Association: aamun.ru)

In view of the medical industry’s keen interest in improving the health of the Russian population and the success of the Healthy Life Forum: Towards 80+, discussion around the further development of the global health care system will continue at the International Arctic Forum ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’, which is slated for 9–10 April 2019 in St. Petersburg.

“The Healthy Life Forum: Towards 80+ has proven to be a serious platform for finding mechanisms at the very highest level for achieving the goals of implementing national projects aimed at increasing life expectancy, developing health care, and improving the country’s demographic situation”, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov said. “Consequently, it was decided that related events should be included in every major forum so that the medical and business communities could develop joint projects. Consolidation of this sort will facilitate a significant breakthrough in the development of health care in Russia. And this is especially important for the regions of the Russian Arctic, where the difficult climatic conditions require that people pay special attention to their own health”.

The first discussion will be devoted to the theme of ‘Healthcare in the Arctic: Two Years’ Progress and New Objectives’. Russia’s Arctic regions play a vital role in achieving the goal of increasing the nation’s life expectancy to 78 years by 2024. The development of the Northern Sea Route presents a new challenge – how can these coastal regions be made more attractive for new workers and their families? Vital to the success of these objectives, just like in other federal subjects, is access to high-quality medical care, preventative health programmes, increasing prosperity, and teamwork. The session participants will discuss how to achieve these objectives in the more difficult conditions of the Arctic and faster than in the regions located below the 60th parallel. 

“The complex demographic and geographic profile of the Arctic gives rise to specific problems related to life expectancy and human well-being. The region includes both sparsely populated areas and large cities, and the aging population, climate change, and cultural diversity can quickly alter the situation”, Director of the Arctic Research Centre at Umeå University Peter Sköld said. “Thanks to improved cooperation in international research, the Arctic has a unique opportunity to improve conditions. Important parts of this process include community health research, digitization of health systems, and improved data infrastructure. The indigenous communities of the North face certain challenges, but at the same time, they have exceptional opportunities to ensure there is a positive transition to health care for indigenous peoples all over the world”.

The second important topic up for discussion will cover recent trends in Arctic medicine as a separate scientific field working with the subtle mechanisms of human adaptation resulting from the body’s exposure to the extremes of the North and preventive measures to ensure the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the North’s inhabitants. This strategic session was put together with the participation of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing and experts in the field of Arctic medicine.

“The resolution of large-scale tasks for the development of the territories of the Arctic zone and the implementation of investment projects, including the development of the oil and gas industry and Northern Sea Route infrastructure, requires the employment of significant human capital, the creation and development of human settlements, and the protection of the environment and safe working conditions”, Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing and Chief State Sanitary Physician of the Russian Federation Anna Popova said. “At the same time, the integrated development of the Arctic zone includes many difficulties resulting from the impact of the conditions of the North itself, especially in the sanitary-hygienic and epidemiological situation, which makes the preservation of human health the most important condition of the economic growth we seek”.

First Deputy Director for Development of the Roscongress Foundation Anastasia Stolkova mentioned the importance of holding these discussions for the purpose of developing concrete solutions since the development of the region would be impossible without measures to preserve human health in the Arctic’s extreme conditions. “We are working with the leading experts, scientists, and health care professionals from Russia and around the world. I am sure that much remains to be done in order to raise the level and quality of life of Russians living in the Arctic, and state assistance is necessary first and foremost. And the business community, in turn, will do its part to attract the necessary investment funds for the further development of healthcare in our country”, Stolkova said.

Two discussions will be held on the ecology of the Arctic as part of the ‘Sustainable Development’ pillar at the 5^th ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum, which will be held at the ExpoForum CEC in St. Petersburg on 9-10 April. Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Patricia Espinosa will take part in the discussions.

The session ‘Arctic of the Future: Sustainable Solutions’ will also be attended by Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dmitry Kobylkin; State Secretary of the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries of the Kingdom of Norway Roy Angelvik; Chairman of the Arctic Economic Council and President of Mariadi Oy Tero Vauraste; Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs of the European External Action Service Marie-Anne Coninsx, and other experts on Arctic development issues. The panellists will discuss the problems concerning global warming in the Arctic climate, which not only entail challenges, but also create new opportunities for international cooperation. 

The second event will be ‘The Arctic – The ‘Weather Kitchen’. The participants will discuss new opportunities that require urgent efforts to adapt measures to avoid a crisis in the region’s economic and social development. The discussion will be attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Russian Federation Silvie-Agnes Bermann, Director of the Climate and Energy Programme at the World Wildlife Fund Russia Alexey Kokorin, and other specialized experts.

“We are committed to an open, constructive international dialogue on the future of the Arctic region, and the Paris Agreement could be another step in successfully implementing the Arctic development programme as a whole”, Advisor to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov said. “In this regard, we wholeheartedly welcome Patricia Espinosa’s participation in the International Arctic Forum’s business programme and we expect to receive the most up-to-date information on scientific research concerning the ecology of the region as well as discuss projects that have been created to improve the climate of the Far North”.

Espinosa is the chief of the UN system responsible for climate change. Since 2016, Espinosa has been coordinating work to implement the Paris Agreement, which will take effect thirty days after it is ratified by at least 55 countries responsible for 55 percent of all harmful emissions to the atmosphere.

“We believe that adaptation and greater resistance of the Arctic region to global climate change is a difficult challenge common to all interested countries. Let us note, in this connection, the importance of the Paris Climate Agreement, the possibility of ratifying the Agreement being studied carefully by our country. “This must be a weighed and substantiated decision”, Russia’s Ambassador-at-large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Korchunov said, stressing the relevance of the issue. “The dialogue on environment protection must be continued. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change remains a proven, authoritative, professional and not politically motivated platform for discussing the climate. We consider that participation by its Executive Secretary in the Forum makes the discussion of the development prospects for collaboration along climate lines even more in-depth and also contributes to substantive discussion of the Arctic development strategy in general.” 

The international community considers the Paris Agreement an important historical document and is counting on the political will of governments and the support of big business and civil society from leading countries in their efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy for the adoption of decisions on the development of the region as part of the agreement. The Paris Agreement establishes a framework for the active efforts of all parties involved in the development of the Arctic.

For reference: ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum  and The Roscongress Foundation

A pitch session will be held in the Innovation Space in the central part of Pavilion F at the International Arctic Forum on 9 April. The project aims to support young scientists, inventors, and developers, boost their motivation, and create a generation of technological entrepreneurs in Russia. The pitch session will be moderated by RT international correspondent Ilya Petrenko.

The innovative projects that will be presented at the pitch session focus on the development of the Arctic region. A total of eight teams will present projects, including residents of Skolkovo, participants in the National Champions project as well as students and young scientists.

The Innovation Space is a platform for a dialogue and discussion of trends with leading experts that will help innovators assess the real prospects of their developments. “The participants include both startups and well-known technology companies. It should be noted that all projects are exclusively Russian scientific developments that are truly unique to the international market. And what is especially important is they can all be used in the Arctic region”, Petrenko said.

Experts taking part in the event include Director of the Roscongress Foundation’s Directorate for Raising Investment and Facilitating the Implementation of Business Projects Alexander Shatirov, Director of the Innovative Development Directorate at Gazprom Neft Andrey Petrukhin, Director of the Narva Industrial Park of the Northeast Estonia Industrial Park Development Foundation Vadim Orlov, Director General of the Agency for Investment Development of Sakha Republic (Yakutia) Alexander Kondrashin, and Deputy Head of the NBICS Nature-like Technologies Complex, National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’ Raif Vasilov, among others.

For reference:  ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum  and The Roscongress Foundation, Official Forum website: forumarctica.ru 

The Gala Concert devoted to the opening of the 5^th International Arctic Forum will be held on 8 April on the St. Petersburg Music Hall Big Stage. Bands representing the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation have prepared unique programmes for the Forum’s guests and participants as well as for the city residents. Their performances reflect both the centuries-old traditions of folk art and imperishable world classics. St. Petersburg acting Governor Alexander Beglov will give a welcoming speech before the concert.

The concert will begin with a performance by the Northern Symphony orchestra conducted by Fabio Mastrangelo – one of the most titled and well-known conductors, who participates in many festivals and performances in Russia and abroad.

The concert programme includes performances by Arco ARTico of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) State Philharmonic, the ethnic music band Ayarkhaan and Chukotka Eskimos band Kochevnik. 

The ethnic music band Ayarkhaan (Yakutia) is a personal project of Albina Degtyareva. The group makes music that goes beyond familiar genres and categories. Using only their own voices and khomus, Ayarkhaan not only plays music but imitates the voices and sounds of wildlife: various birds, cranes, horses neighing, the sound of the wind and the heartbeat, immersing the audience in the amazingly picturesque world of wildlife.

The repertoire of Arco ARTico – the string ensemble of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) State Philharmonic – includes both classical and popular music, film music, Argentinian tango and pop hits from the past.

Vocal and dance group Kochevnik represents Chukotka. At the Music Hall concert, the group will be accompanied by Olit Tevlyanaut, demonstrating her wide and colourful vocal range and a combination of various performance techniques. Olit’s love of Chukchi folk songs is based on a blend of folk vocals, ethnic music, fusion and mastery of the mouth harp. 

When Norway PM Erna Solberg meets with Russian president in St. Petersburg next week, it will be the first time in ten years that the two countries’ Heads of State are in direct discussions. She will not reveal what they are to talk about. We are clearly witnessing a shift in atmosphere now, says expert on Russia.

Similar discussions between Norwegian and Russian top-level politicians have not taken place since then-prime minister Jens Stoltenberg met then-president Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow in May 2009.

Solberg Wednesday gave a speech at the High North Dialogue conference in Bodø in which she stressed international cooperation and the blue economy as pillars of economic development for Norway in the Arctic.

Solberg would not, however, say what issues she will raise with the Russian president during next week’s meeting.

Senior researcher and Russia expert at the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs (NUPI), Julie Wilhelmsen, argues that Solberg’s visit to Russia fits in to a larger European pattern in which many states have become more realistic about how to relate to Russia.

Researcher Arild Moe at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute says Norway sends a strong signal through both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister’s attending the conference in St. Petersburg.

The United States and Russia have flown nuclear bombers over the Norwegian Sea, amid rising tensions following the recent withdrawal of the two Cold War-era arch foes from a landmark nuclear arms treaty and the build-up of NATO military forces on the US-led alliance’s eastern flank near Russia.

The US Air Force Europe said in a statement that five giant B-52 bombers had flown over the Norwegian Sea on Thursday and that the planes had continued towards Iceland, the BarentsObserver reported Saturday.

“During the flights, five B-52s conducted training with Norwegian F-16 fighter jets,” the statement said. “Training with NATO allies like Norway enhances the capabilities and readiness of the alliance.”

Reports said Russian strategic bombers, including Tu-160 and MiG-31 fighters, also headed for a southbound flight for the second time this week outside Norwegian airspace, flying from the Barents Sea over the Norwegian Sea and to the North Sea, north of United Kingdom.

Major Elisabeth Q. Eikeland, a NATO press spokesperson, confirmed the presence of the Russian planes, saying, “We monitor them with different types of means like sensors, radar and aircraft.”

Eikeland, however, stressed that two days of Russian planes flying outside Norway “is neither sensational nor abnormal.”

She also revealed that Norwegian F-16s fighter jets had been scrambled to identify the Russian bombers on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump suspended the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in February and threatened full withdrawal in six months. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree in response, suspending Moscow’s participation in the nuclear arms treaty.

Singed in 1987, the treaty banned the US and the former Soviet Union from creating ground-launched nuclear-capable missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers

The Trump administration says it would stay in the deal if Russia dismantles the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, which Washington believes is in violation of the INF.

Russia has rebuffed US claims by showcasing the missile to journalists and revealing many of its sensitive specifications to ensure the international community that the Trump administration is being dishonest.

While the INF-treaty includes land-based missiles, strategic bomber planes are regulated by the New START treaty between Washington and Moscow.

The Russian and American flights with strategic bombers in the skies over and outside northern Europe were conducted at the same time as Northern Wind drills took place in northern Sweden.

About 7,000 of the 10,000 participating soldiers came from Norway, Finland, USA and Great Britain.

UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian bombers

In a separate report on Saturday, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) said it had scrambled Typhoon fighter jets to intercept two Russian bombers approaching UK airspace.

The Typhoons had been sent from a base in northern Scotland at midday on Friday to monitor the two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack long-range bombers.

The RAF said it had worked closely with its NATO partners to monitor the Blackjacks as they flew over international airspace, saying they had “successfully” intercepted the Russian bombers over the North Sea and escorted them from UK airspace.

The RAF said it was the second time this week that the presence of Russian planes and their military activities had been investigated.