"I think today’s conference has shown that there is good cooperation among the Arctic states. The geopolitical situation influences it as Norway is also supporting the [anti-Russia] sanctions. But when it comes to the cooperation between Norway and Russia in the Arctic, I would say it is good," Krutnes said on the sidelines of the international conference dedicated to the international cooperation in the Arctic region underway in Moscow.
The two-day conference "International Cooperation in the Arctic: New Challenges and Vectors of Development" kicked off on Wednesday in the Russian capital with expert sessions devoted to the 20th anniversary of the eight-member Arctic Council, comprising of Russia, Norway, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.
Norway was one of the Western countries that imposed sanctions against Russia in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis, to which Russia retaliated with a ban on food imports.
