Minister Guðlaugur Thórdarson, Iceland and Minister Timo Soini, Finland. Picture by Government of Iceland.
Tuesday, May 7 2019, Rovaniemi, Republic of Finland: Iceland shall lead the Arctic Council for two years after Minister of Foreign Affairs Guðlaugur Thór Thórdarson, received the gavel from his Finnish counterpart Timo Soini at the Rovaniemi Ministerial Meeting held in Finland. The latter function marked the finale of Finland’s two-year chairmanship of the Council.
Minister Thórdarson presented Iceland’s chairmanship programme titled “Together Towards a Sustainable Arctic”, highlighting three priority areas: i)the Arctic Marine Environment, ii) climate and green energy solutions as well as iii) people and communities of the Arctic. The chairmanship shall likewise continue strengthening the internal work of the Arctic Council and promoting its work internationally while supporting its ongoing activities in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development.
All eight foreign ministers of the Council’s members states attended the meeting, that is, from Canada, Russia, the United States as well as the five Nordic countries. The meeting was also attended by leaders of the six permanent participants and representatives of thirty nine observers, including China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
For further information:
Arctic Council: https://arctic-council.org/index.php/en/
Icelandic chairmanship: https://www.government.is/library/01-Ministries/Ministry-for-Foreign-Affairs/PDF-skjol/Arctic%20Council%20-%20Iceland’s%20Chairmanship%202019-2021.pdf
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