"The Indonesian delegation has visited our pavilion [at a forum] and we discussed possible areas of cooperation … What interest can the southern country have in Arctic research? Everything is simple here. Climate changes in the Arctic are so global that they also affect the southern countries," Makarov told Sputnik on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The institute's chief said that climate change in the Artic affects the formation of rains and monsoons in Asia, which could pose a risk to agriculture, as the Arctic is a region where the weather conditions for half of the globe are rooted.
Bilateral cooperation could begin with student exchange programs, Makarov noted.
In July 2022, the Roscongress Foundation said that environmental protection, including climate change, was among the priorities of Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021-2023. Given the rapid changes in the Arctic climate, the Russian side attaches great importance to mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, preserving and restoring the environment and ensuring the rational use of natural resources.