Russia’s resources minister to open new Arctic office
An improvement of the ministry structure is needed in order to meet the requirements of the Russian President, says Minister of Natural Resources Dmitry Kobylkin as he announces the establishment of a new Arctic department.
The reorganization of the powerful government ministry comes less than a month after Dmitry Kobylkin was appointed federal minister. According to the minister, himself a man from the Russian Arctic, the reformed structure is needed in order to follow up on the new presidential decrees of Vladimir Putin.
Focusing on the Arctic
The reorganization includes the transfer of issues related to meteorology to a new body officially named the Department of state policy in regulation of meteorology and the study of the Arctic and Antarctica, the ministry informs.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a key government body in Russian Arctic developments. It manages environmental protection, natural resources management, as well as international and legal issues related to the continental shelf.
It includes several powerful government agencies, among them the Forest Management Agency, the Nature Management Control Service (Rosprirodnadzor), the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) and the Mineral Resource Agency (Rosnedra).
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada ill-prepared for Arctic shipping boom, G7 sustainability summit hears, Eye on the Arctic
China: Qingdao plays pivotal role in China’s Arctic strategy, Cryopolitics Blog
Finland: Finnish president demands Arctic Summit to stop dangerous black carbon emissions, Yle News
Norway: Norway grants drilling rights closer to protected Arctic waters, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Chinese oil company considers investing in Russian Arctic LNG, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden reluctantly greenlights construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Radio Sweden
United States: US Gov preparing for oil exploration in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Public Media
