MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The events of the forum will be held at a number of venues across the Russian capital, including, among others, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNH) and the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.
The 2016 forum, held biannually since 2010, will begin on Monday with a panel discussion on the natural reserves in the Arctic attended by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi, representatives of local governments and heads of various companies operating in the region.
The participants will assess the prospects of the Russian exploration of the Arctic in the context of the volatile financial situation, Western sanctions against Russia and oil price trends.
Later in the day, Donskoi and a number of experts will lead an open dialogue on the research in the Arctic and the outlook for the international collaboration and the involvement of young scientists.
On November 22, a plenary session of the third International Conference Open Arctic will be held, focusing on key issues of the scientific and technical Arctic development, with the participants ranging from oil-producing companies to universities. The results achieved in the region and plans for the future projects will be demonstrated at the exhibition held at the same venue.
The openings of archaeological and photographic exhibitions presenting different sides of the Arctic are scheduled for the remaining four days of the forum.
With about a third of its territory located north of the Arctic circle, Russia is an active member of the research and development projects in the region and a member of the Arctic Council along with the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
