Prospects of the Russia-Canada cooperation in the Arctic

Abstract

Russia and Canada are the two largest Arctic states with similar natural, geographical and social features, which makes it possible to fairly consider them as “natural partners”. Russia-Canada cooperation has declined in a number of spheres since 2014. The Arctic, being a region where countries possess interrelated interests and encounter similar challenges, is likely to become a re-launching pad for the good-neighborly relations between Russia and Canada. Remarkably, both Russian and Canadian politicians and experts have stressed potential mutual benefits from the bilateral cooperation and expressed the willingness for a rapprochement. Therefore, the Russia-Canada partnership faces positive prospects, which creates opportunities for a progressive development. In 2021-2023, while the Russian Federation is chairing the Arctic Council, there is an appropriate opportunity to launch a new chapter in the relations between Russia and Canada, both through multilateral and bilateral collaboration. Thus, the analysis of the most advantageous spheres of cooperation is of a particular interest.

Keywords

• arctic
• russia
• canada
• cooperation
• international relations