International Arctic Forum 2025 business programme architecture published

The architecture of the business programme of the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum (IAF), which will be held on 26–27 March in Murmansk with the slogan ‘To Live in the North’, is now available on the official website of the event. The Forum is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government.

“Global interest in the Arctic is increasing with every passing year among a wide range of countries with no access to the Arctic Ocean. Current geopolitical realities will require a reset to make international cooperation in the Arctic possible. The Arctic Council used to be the authoritative platform for international interaction in this arena but has since grown essentially useless. We need new places to meet, and we would like to propose coming together to discuss the global issues facing Arctic development at the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ forum in Murmansk, which we are hopeful can reboot global interaction, attract new investors to the Arctic territories, and once again demonstrate how open our country is to cooperation and partnership of every possible kind,” Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev said.

IAF 2025 business events have been divided into four thematic blocks: ‘The Arctic and the NSR: Coming Out on Top in the Global Competition of Routes’, ‘The Arctic and the NSR: Magnetically Attracting Investment’, ‘The Arctic and the NSR: Developing Support Settlements’, and ‘International Cooperation and the Environment’.

“The International Arctic Forum business programme reflects the priorities of Russia’s state policy in the Far North, with discussions focusing on attracting investment to infrastructure projects, the outlook for the Northern Sea Route as a transport route of strategic importance, improving quality of life and protecting the environment in the region, and promoting sustainable development for the region’s indigenous peoples. The Forum agenda takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges facing Russia in the Arctic and looks to the long term. I have no doubt that the Forum will contribute to the creation of new mechanisms for the development of the North, solidify Russia’s status as an Arctic power, and help develop new formats of fair and mutually beneficial international dialogue,” Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the IAF 2025 Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov said.

The block dedicated to ‘The Arctic and the NSR: Coming Out on Top in the Global Competition of Routes’ will focus on the history of the Northern Sea Route, where it might go in the future, and the contemporary development of the Polar Region.

The track titled ‘The Arctic and the NSR: Magnetically Attracting Investment’ will consist of sessions on how to improve preferential regimes for Arctic business and develop resources, creative industries, and tourism in the region.

Experts attending ‘The Arctic and the NSR: Developing Support Settlements’ will tackle the development of support settlements, state support for imports to the North, standards for businesses dealing with the North’s indigenous minorities, and careers in the Arctic.

The ‘International Cooperation and the Environment’ track will address how countries interact with one another and strategies for humanitarian and ecological interaction between the government and business, with special attention going to science, geotechnical monitoring, and measures for adapting to the melting of permafrost.

The IAF will also host a presentation of the results of the ‘Polar Bear Universe: Effective Cooperation in the Arctic’ International Research and Training Conference being held in the run-up to the Forum on 18–21 March. This year the conference will be held under the auspices of the International Arctic Forum at venues in Moscow, Anadyr, St. Petersburg, and Yakutsk, with a special teleconference planned for the Arctic regions.

State Council Commissions for the ‘Northern Sea Route and the Arctic’, ‘Efficient Transport’, and ‘International Cooperation and Export’ will also be meeting as part of the business programme.

The ‘Taste of the Arctic’ Food Festival, Ministry of Emergency Situations demonstration exercises, and the ‘Wives of Heroes’ Arctic lounge will also be held.

The 6th ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum is the leading platform for discussing the socio-economic development of the Arctic territories and working out multilateral mechanisms for exploring and exploiting the considerable potential that exists in the Arctic region together.

For more information, check out the website at forumarctica.ru.