Rovaniemi all set to host Arctic Council Ministerial Meet

The authorities have made all-out preparations to host peacefully the 11th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Rovaniemi.

The Ministerial Meeting will be held at Lappi Arena on Tuesday, although there will be some other programmes on Monday, on the eve of the meeting at three separate venues- Lappi Arena, Arktikum and Lappia Hall.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini and Mayor of Rovaniemi Esko Lotvonen will host a welcome reception on Monday evening followed by a bilateral meeting between Russia and Iceland and another bilateral meeting between Finland and Russia on Monday night.

Earlier on the day, Secretary of State of the United States of America Michael R. Pompeo is scheduled to deliver a speech titled “Looking North: Sharpening America’s Arctic Focus” at 4:00 p.m.

The Foreign Ministers of all the eight Arctic States – Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States will take part in the ministerial meeting on Tuesday.

Finland's two-year Chairmanship of the Arctic Council will end at the Foreign Ministerial Meeting scheduled to be presided over by Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini. Finland will hand over the Chairmanship to Iceland.

Along with the ministers, invited participants will include the Arctic Council’s Permanent Participants, that is, the six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, as well as the states and organisations with an Observer status in the Arctic Council. The six Working Groups will also be represented at the meeting.

The meeting is expected to be attended by approximately 300 participants, and over a hundred media representatives will come to follow the event.

“The Finnish Presidency has been very successful. We have achieved progress in all our selected priority areas, and Arctic policy has gained a stronger role as part of Finland's foreign policy and the EU’s common foreign policy,” said Foreign Minister Timo Soini.

During its Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2017–2019, Finland has supported the maintenance of peace, stability and constructive cooperation in the Arctic region. The priorities of the Finnish Chairmanship have included strengthening of meteorological cooperation; environmental protection, including reduction of black carbon emissions; education; and connectivity. During its term, Finland has strengthened the visibility of the EU's Arctic policy and the Union’s role in the region. In the negotiations concerning the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Finland has promoted measures that would increase funding to the Arctic region.

“We have achieved progress in all our selected priority areas, and Arctic policy has gained a stronger role as part of Finland’s foreign policy and the EU’s common foreign policy. It is excellent therefore that the Foreign Ministers of all the Arctic States have informed that they will attend the meeting. We are looking forward to meeting them in Rovaniemi!” said Timo Soini.