MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) - The chairmanship of the Arctic Council will allow Russia to increase its influence as a coordinator of programs in the region, Russian Defense Minister and Russian Geographical Society President Sergei Shoigu said.
"In May, Russia will take over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, whose duty is to facilitate cooperation in the Arctic region. This is an opportunity to strengthen our country's role as the coordinator and initiator of a large number of programs in the region," Shoigu said at a meeting of the Russian Geographical Society's Board of Trustees in Moscow on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the chairman of the Board of Trustees, is also attending the meeting.
The Arctic Council includes eight states: Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.