1. The Foreign Ministry hosted the first Korea-Russia Arctic Consultation in Seoul on November 29. The Republic of Korea and Russian head delegates to the Consultation were Representative for Arctic Cooperation Kim Young-jun and Ambassador at Large and Senior Arctic Official Vladimir Barbin of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, respectively.

° Russia, one of the ROK’s most significant partners among the eight member states of the Arctic Council, is working closely with the ROK in various areas, including Arctic routes, gas development and shipbuilding.

2. At the first Consultation held pursuant to the agreement reached at the ROK-Russia summit talks in Vladivostok in September 2017, the two sides comprehensively discussed specific ways to work together in gas, Arctic routes, and other main Arctic-related fields included in the “9-Bridges” strategy implemented by the ROK government as part of its new northern policy. They also explored ways to achieve a qualitative growth in northern cooperation between the two countries.

※ The 9-Bridges are gas, railways, ports, electricity, Arctic routes, shipbuilding, agriculture, fisheries and jobs.

3. In particular, the two countries discussed their respective Arctic policies; cooperation on science, shipbuilding, and the second research icebreaker vessel; the development of maritime transport routes in the Arctic region (Arctic routes); ways for the ROK to join Russia’s Yamal project for the development of natural gas; and ways to work together at the Arctic Council and other Arctic-related global forums.

° The two sides shared with each other the progress in and plans regarding the two countries’ efforts to boost the use of Arctic routes, including institutional assistance, such as curtailing fees charged to users of port facilities and providing trade volume incentives; port modernization; and the joint use of the second research icebreaker vessel. They agreed to work closely together to increase the use of Arctic routes.

° The two sides also agreed to hold the bilateral Arctic Consultation on an annual basis to seek a closer Arctic cooperation, with the next round set to take place in Russia in the first half of 2018.

4. The ROK government holds bilateral Arctic consultations with major countries in the Arctic region to discuss Arctic-related issues and to seek out potential areas for Arctic cooperation. It will hold those meetings in 2017 with Finland in Seoul on December 11 and with Norway in Busan on December 13.

° In a related move, the government of the ROK, for the first time for a non-Arctic country, will hold in Seoul on December 11 a cooperation seminar with the Arctic Economic Council (AEC), whose main purpose is to create business opportunities in the Arctic.


* unofficial translation