Dear Arctic Council Observers,
I am very pleased to welcome you all to the Russian Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, and in this first email that I send to you as Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, I wish to congratulate the Icelandic Chairmanship team and Einar in particular for the work they have accomplished on Observer engagement throughout the last two years.
I also applaud Iceland for hosting a very successful 12th Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Reykjavik last month under very unusual circumstances. Not only does the Arctic Council have a strong Reykjavik Declaration and a Strategic Plan, we also have shown that the Council was able to continue its work even in times of the pandemic, and could meet at its highest level in a safe manner. I want to thank all of you who engaged with the Council and contributed to the Ministerial meeting through either video or written statements, and also those who attended the meeting via the online platform.
As our Chairmanship begins, I would like to thank you all for your important contributions to the Council’s activities, particularly to the work of the Working Groups and the Expert Group, and your support to the Russian Chairmanship program. I look forward working closely with you during the next two years.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to be in contact with the Arctic Council Secretariat: .
With best wishes,
Nikolay Korchunov
Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials