Russia to Host International Meeting of Arctic Council Representatives Monday

The three-day meeting will take place aboard a ship traveling from St. Petersburg to the religiously signficant island of Valaam in the center of Lake Ladoga in Russia's northwest, Sputnik reported.

The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum comprised of the eight Arctic nations — the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Denmark.

Six international organizations representing Arctic Indigenous Peoples have permanent participant status. There are currently twelve non-Arctic observer nations.

The intergovernmental group aims to facilitate cooperation among the eight states and Arctic indigenous communities and focuses on sustainable development and the environmental protection of the region.

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