MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2021) Russia fully backs the prompt implementation of the international Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
"We look forward to the agreement, which was signed three years ago to prevent unregulated high seas fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean, to come into force as soon as possible. We regard it as a serious step towards promoting an ecosystem-based approach to marine resource management in the Arctic," Lavrov said at the 12th Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Reykjavik.
Russia is one of the five countries�that border the Arctic along with Canada, Denmark, Norway and the United States. Over two million Russian citizens live in the region, making Russia the largest arctic country in terms of population. Russia is also the only country that possesses a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, which allows it to use the shortest trade route from Europe to Asia � the Northern Sea Route � regardless of seasonal changes.
The 10 participants that signed the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement on October 3, 2018, include Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United States, the European Union, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Iceland and Norway.
Earlier on Thursday, Russia assumed the two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The council was established in 1996 as a high-level intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the region with a focus on environmental protection. The council includes Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
