The seven western countries on the Arctic Council said Wednesday they will resume work together on some of the forum’s projects, but without Russia. “We intend to implement a limited resumption of our work in the Arctic Council on projects that do not involve the participation of the Russian Federation,” Canada, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the United States said in a joint statement. “These projects, contained in the work plan approved by all Arctic states at the Reykjavik ministerial, are a vital component of our responsibility to the peoples of the Arctic, including Indigenous peoples.”The Arctic Council is an international forum made up of the eight Arctic countries and the six Arctic Indigenous groups: the Aleut International Association, the Arctic Athabaskan Council, the Gwich’in Council International, the Inuit Circumpolar Council, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North and the Saami Council. The seven western states said on Wednesday they would continue to examine other ways to move forward on the forum’s projects. “We remain convinced of the enduring value of the Arctic Council for circumpolar cooperation and reiterate our support for this forum and its important work,” they said.

Source: CBC News June 08, 2022 16:29 UTC