Finland takes over Arctic Council Chairmanship on May 11

Finland will take over the two-year Chairmanship of the Arctic Council at the meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Fairbanks, Alaska on May 11.

President and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the programme for Finland’s Chairmanship and other topical Arctic issues on Friday, said an official press release.

The key themes for Finland’s Chairmanship are environmental protection, connectivity, meteorology and education.

Climate change and sustainable development form a broad framework for the Chairmanship programme. Finland’s Arctic expertise will be promoted during the Chairmanship.

The meeting observed that Finland will continue to participate in security sector training as well as advise and assist activities in Iraq (Operation Inherent Resolve OIR) with about one hundred soldiers until the end of 2018.

In Iraq Finland also supports stabilisation activities by development cooperation funds as well as provides humanitarian aid and funds demining.

The current situation in Russia and Ukraine was also on the agenda in the light of the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Finland Thursday.