The Arctic Council: transition of chairmanship from the US to Finland, further strengthening of Russian-Finnish cooperation

Abstract

The article deals with the results of the 2 years of the US chairmanship of the Arctic Council, notes positive results and draws attention to the weak points of the US Arctic policy. It reveals that the US has chaired the AC to solve its own problems related to the Arctic. The authors also analyze the ministerial meeting in Fairbanks (Alaska) and describe the current Russian position in the Arctic. The foundations of the Finnish Arctic policy and the analysis of the first statements of politicians and experts helps the author to predict the Finland's plans for the chairmanship in the Arctic Council 2017–2019, and its possible impact on settling differences in Russian-American and Russian-Western European relations. In addition, it is important to take a closer look at the role of the Finland’s chairmanship in strengthening the Russian-Finnish cooperation in the run-up of the 100 anniversary of the independent Finnish state (December 2017). It is found that in contrast to Canada, the United States did not transfer the existing contradictions between the US and Russia to the work of the Arctic Council. It largely contributed to the positive results of the US chairmanship, especially on the development of multilateral cooperation of the coast guards, international fisheries in the Arctic Ocean and the problems of communication networks in the Arctic.

Keywords

• The Arctic Council
• the Arctic
• Russia
• Canada
• UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
• Northern Sea Route
• ice-breaker fleet
• scientific research
• national security