Expert Krivorotov – «It’s High Time We Finally Initiate Something Ourselves»

This opinion was expressed by Andrey Krivorotov, Acting Head of the Department of Innovation Management at the Odintsovo branch of MGIMO and Leading Researcher at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, during today’s roundtable discussion organized by the Project Office for Arctic Development (PORA).

«Unfortunately, Russia’s international cooperation in the Arctic has so far only supported other people’s initiatives. It’s high time we finally initiate something ourselves,» the expert emphasized.

According to him, the Arctic Council remains the most crucial institution for international interaction in the region; however, the West’s attempts to «pause» its work are prompting interested countries to seek alternative formats for cooperation.

«When the Arctic Council has largely made itself dysfunctional, we need to explore new options, and we shouldn’t wait around for those same Asian countries to suggest these options to us,» Krivorotov believes.

On November 6, the PORA Expert Center hosted the presentation of a report by Maria Lagutina and Yana Leksyutina on the transformation of international cooperation in the Arctic after 2022. The participants discussed changes in the system of international relations in the region, the prospects for Russia’s interaction with new partners, and the possibilities of forming alternative mechanisms for Arctic cooperation.