The ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum to be held under the slogan “The North – the place to live!”

A meeting has been held in Moscow between Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum, and Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region.

The meeting focussed on preparations for the ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum (IAF), to be held in Murmansk on 26–27 March 2025. The event’s organizer is the Roscongress Foundation, with support from the Government of the Russian Federation.

“Murmansk is Russia’s gateway to the Arctic. Holding the IAF in the region under the slogan “The North – the place to live!” symbolizes not only the commitment to creating a comfortable living environment in the harsh conditions of the North but also emphasizes the territory’s strategic importance as a key area for economic development and international cooperation. Accelerating the economic and infrastructure development of Russia’s Arctic zone and preserving the environmental balance and culture of the indigenous peoples of the North rank among the key priorities for the country’s development,” emphasized Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum.

The reasons for selecting Murmansk to host the Forum are clear – it is the largest economic zone in Russia and the world with a unified set of tax and administrative incentives and is home to Russia’s Northern Fleet and the world’s only nuclear icebreaker fleet. In the view of those attending the working meeting, holding the Forum in Murmansk will provide additional impetus to the development of the entire macro-region.

“The choice of slogan emphasizes the Forum’s top priority – developing Arctic territories as an area where people won’t just be able to work but also to live in a manner that meets today’s standards. That’s the challenge that incorporates the interests of all Russia’s Arctic regions. Hosting such a large-scale and important event is a great honour. Together with our colleagues, we are putting together a very busy programme for the Forum’s guests, both in business and cultural terms: Arctic cuisine, performances by the best groups, excursions, sporting events and much more besides,” commentedAndrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region.

This is the first time the Forum will be held following Russia’s successful chairmanship of the Arctic Council in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, which saw the launch of the ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ socio-cultural project to support the indigenous minorities of the North. This project was unveiled on the sidelines of EEF 2022 with support from the Government of the Russian Federation. The festival is scheduled to form part of the cultural programme of IAF 2025, within the framework of which experts will discuss the development of national government policy in relation to the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation and the promotion of their culture within Russia.

The International Arctic Forum is a key platform for discussing current issues of the socio-economic development of the Arctic regions and developing multi-level, multilateral mechanisms to jointly unlock and effectively assimilate the powerful resource potential of the Arctic region.