At St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, held from 15 to 18 June 2022, ‘The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ stand, dedicated to the Arctic agenda, will be arranged for the first time. The stand business programme includes more than 15 events, some of which will be held in the framework of the plan of Russian chairmanship in the Arctic Council in 2021–2023, the operator of which is the Roscongress Foundation.

‘During the events of the stand, leading specialists and experts will discuss the economic development of the region, ecology, tourism and creative industries, development of the North Sea Route and human capital in the Arctic, including indigenous peoples of the North. A number of agreements will also be signed at the stand,’ said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organising Committee for the preparation and provision of the Russian chairmanship in the Arctic Council.

One of the main sessions at the stand will be the Conference on Telecommunications and Digitalisation Development in the Arctic. Its participants will discuss the introduction of digital technology in the region, the use of telemedicine and unmanned vehicles, as well as other issues. The Arctic Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Seminar will be the platform for discussing the development of ship repair services in the Arctic and the increase in the number of high ice-class vessels. In addition, the Creative Business Forum at SPIEF-2022 will include discussions on the prospects for creative industries in the northern territories.

In addition, ‘The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ stand will hold a session ‘The North Sea Route: An International Transport Corridor’. Participants will discuss the impact of this route on the economy of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, opportunities for the advancement of their own territories using the North Sea Route against the backdrop of sanctions pressure, as well as the prospects for strengthening partnerships with friendly countries.

‘Today more than 3,000 investment projects are being implemented in the Arctic and the Far East with the use of state support mechanisms, and the cargo traffic along the North Sea Route is increasing annually. The importance of this route is even greater against the backdrop of external sanctions pressure and the economy transformation. We will discuss the most rational and effective solutions to transport and logistics problems, to ensure the safety of navigation, timely and adequate delivery of goods to the residents of remote and northern regions,’ said Alexey Chekunov, the Minister of Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

At the session ‘International Cooperation as a Guarantee of Arctic Sustainable Development’, Think Arctic panellists will discuss the importance of the region in international politics and economics against the backdrop of increasing accessibility of the Arctic and its role in the context of the global energy transition.

‘With the temporary pause in the work of the Arctic Council, it is important for Russia, as the largest Arctic state, to continue to work to ensure the sustainable development of the Arctic for the benefit of the people living in the region. As a result of such a "freeze," many of the Council's initiatives are suspended. These initiatives have a pronounced social orientation and are focused on the indigenous population of the Arctic. In the current situation, we are open to the quick resumption of the Arctic Council activities, as well as to the development of cooperation with all states that have a constructive approach to interaction with our country, including non-regional ones,’ stressed Nikolay Korchunov, chairman of the Senior Officials Committee of the Arctic Council, Ambassador-at-Large for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A separate area of ‘The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ forum work will be a discussion of the investment potential of the Arctic. The business programme at the stand will also include thematic sessions on tourism, conservation and science, human resources and security.

The exhibition is located on the territory of Expoforum on the first floor of pavilion G. The size of the built-up exhibition area is 300 sq. metres. The stand will be divided into several zones, the main one being the Lecture Hall and the document signing zone. In addition, visitors to the stand will have access to the bar area, business communication zone, as well as spaces dedicated to the North Sea Route, the Russian chairmanship of the Arctic Council and other issues.