President of Iceland: We must take into account people’s opinions and interests

President of Iceland Gudni Johannesson has called on the countries of the Arctic Council to jointly solve problems in this region.

“We need to work together to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Far North”, he said at the plenary session of the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Forum. “It is extremely important to develop a constructive and mutually beneficial dialogue, taking into account people’s opinions and acting in their interests. Let this be the beacon that guides us in our future actions”.

Johannesson said the conference revealed many opportunities and challenges that people living in the Arctic face. “Here in the north, problems need to be addressed, not ignored”, Johannesson said. “Iceland’s Arctic policy is based on decisions that were unanimously approved in March 2011, and its goal is to ensure the interests of the country with regard to the consequences of climate change in addition to security and nature-related issues, as well as strengthening cooperation with all interested countries”.

“We need to work closely together and consistently achieve common long-term goals within the framework of the Arctic Council”, Johannesson said. “The Arctic is changing rapidly, and we need our interaction to be positive and the Arctic dialogue to produce results”.

Source: TASS (photo, text)