"We are strongly committed to resolving any disputes through civilized negotiations. We hope that our Arctic Council colleagues are aware of the danger of assuming confrontational approaches and importing tensions as well," Lavrov said in his article for the Shared Voices magazine on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Arctic Council.
He added that Russia has always considered the Arctic to be an area that requires mutually respectful dialogue.
"Effective solutions for preserving the unique Arctic environment, improving the well-being of the inhabitants of the Far North, including that of the indigenous peoples, ensuring the responsible use of rich natural resources for the benefit of all Arctic States can be, apparently, found only on the basis of true partnership," the minister stressed.
The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the governments of the Arctic countries. The forum comprises eight Arctic nations, namely Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
