SABETTA (Russia) (Sputnik) — Preservation of the unique nature, culture and lifestyle of the Russian north is a key priority for the authorities for the region's development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Our key priority is the protection of the unique northern environment, the original culture and lifestyle of the indigenous peoples," 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.
Russia is actively developing its northern territories through the expansion of the local logistical infrastructure and creation of conditions for social, economic and industrial growth in the region, Putin added welcoming cooperation in the area with all the interested parties.
Russia, alongside Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States, is part of the Arctic Council, created at Finland's initiative in 1996 for cooperation and resolving issues in the Arctic region.
