OREANDA-NEWS. September 28, 2011. The Second International Arctic Forum The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue was held under the aegis of the Russian Geographical Society in Arkhangelsk on September 22-23. Scientists, experts, outstanding public and political figures, representatives of countries of the Arctic Council and observers discussed issues of the transport system development in the Arctic regions and complex environmentally conscious development of the region in view of features of its unique nature and interests of indigenous peoples.

The Republic of Karelia was presented at the forum by Valentina Pivnenko, deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation and Chairlady of the State Duma Committee for Problems of the North and the Far East, Andrey Manin, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for National Politics, Relations with Public and Religious Associations, and Nikolay Filatov, director of the Institute of Northen Water Problems of Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences and head of Karelian branch of the Russian Geographical Society.

As it was mentioned at the forum, activities of the Russian Geographical Society are closely related to the Arctic. For many years it has been providing scientific and expeditionary support to programs and projects that Russia implements along the entire Northern Sea Route.

According to Valentina Pivnenko, the forum past is the most important project of the Russian Geographical Society. Vladimir Putin is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society, and Sergey Shoigu is the President of the Russian Geographical Society.

– The forum was symbolically called The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue. The Karelian delegation has taken part in it not for the fun of it but to join international and Russian projects related to the Arctic regions, for the benefit of the republic. For example, it is the project of the Stockman field development, it is the White Sea-Baltic Canal and its future, and many other issues. Karelia is ready to take part in transport projects and those related to the revival of the Northern Sea Route, – Valentina Pivnenko said.

As Nikolay Filatov, head of Karelian branch of the Russian Geographical Society, has told, the grant Natural, Cultural and Historical Monuments of the European North that involved Karelian scientists, archeologists, geologists, oceanologists was mentioned at the forum. The album published includes description of such famous monuments as Kizhi, Valaam, Solovetsky Islands, and quite little known such as Chelmuzhsky bar, Kuzovetsky Islands, etc.

According to Andrey Manin, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for National Politics, Relations with Public and Religious Associations, the forum is also interesting from the point of view of studying traditions and culture of the people living in the Arctic.

The entry list of this forum was more representative than the first one: among its participants there was the Prince of Monaco, the President of Iceland, the Vice-Governor of Alaska, many observers from different countries.

The next Arctic forum will be devoted to ecology.