Senior Arctic Council officials met in Finland for the first time during Finland’s Chairmanship on 25-26 October 2017. The meeting brought together representatives of the states and organizations involved in the work of the Council.
Finland's priorities for the Council are environmental protection, connectivity, meteorological cooperation, and education. During the meeting, the senior officials discuss several areas of focus for the Council, including pollution prevention, education, and resilience. The Council will also use the occasion to discuss the recently-signed agreement on scientific cooperation in the Arctic.
"In this first plenary meeting we will hear about the Arctic Council’s and the Observers’ work to prevent environmental pollution and to improve educational opportunities in the Arctic and get a briefing on the activities of the Arctic Economic Council. These discussions will be valuable also for the strategic planning of the work of the Arctic Council", noted SAO Chair Aleksi Härkönen.