Security Architecture in Arctic Achievable Only Through Cooperation - Putin

Creation of a sustainable security architecture able to address the current challenges in the Arctic is only possible through joint multilateral efforts and consideration for the interests of all the parties involved in the region’s development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement on Wednesday.

SABETTA (Russia) (Sputnik) – "I will emphasize that only through collective efforts and considering the interests of all the parties we will able to advance on our way to the sustainable security architecture responding to the current challenges in the Arctic," Putin said in the welcoming statement read out by Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev at the 7th annual international meeting of the Arctic Council member states, observer states and representatives of the international scientific community held in the Russian northern town of Sabetta.

In his statement, Putin called the issues of the international political and economic cooperation in the Arctic as well as the regional environment protection and hydrocarbon resources production the main focus of the forum.

"It is even more symbolic that the forum is held in the town of Sabetta where the large-scale energy project YAMAL LNG is being completed. It is a spectacular example of mutually beneficial multilateral cooperation, careful attitude to the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic. Such open, equitable and effective approach is necessary for the effective economic development of the Arctic, for strengthening the international political, economic, and social dialogue aimed at addressing the relevant issues of the region," the statement also noted.

The Arctic Council meeting is held in northern Russia on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States, are members of the Arctic Council, created in 1996 at Finland's initiative for cooperation and resolving issues of the Arctic region.