The Arctic: In the Face of Change, an Ocean of Cooperation

Oct 6, 2017 | Wilson Center Staff
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“The United States and Russia… have found ways to continue to cooperate in the Arctic—particularly, but not only—through the Arctic Council, despite the difficulties on other issues relating to other parts of the world,” said Ambassador David Balton, deputy assistant secretary for oceans and fisheries at the U.S. Department of State at a recent Wilson Center forum on the Arctic. Despite this peaceful track record, the path forward will not be easy. “If we want to save the Arctic, we need the Arctic countries to cooperate,” said Katri Kulmuni, a member of Finland’s parliament representing Lapland. “But right now, we are in a situation where we seem to be lacking the trust to continue in an open and constructive manner… Without trust, we lack the way forward.” The Wilson Center’s Polar Initiative partnered with the Arctic Circle to convene the first-ever Arctic Forum in the continental United States. The two-day international event, which included contributions from the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute and Environmental Change and Security Program, brought together more than 600 people in Washington, DC, including high-level policymakers and senior military officers from Arctic nations, along with experts and members of the private sector, to address the opportunities and challenges faced by the people of the Arctic and Arctic Council nations.