‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’

The importance of the Arctic in international politics and economics is steadily increasing as its accessibility increases as a result of climate change and ice release. The region is also playing an increasingly important role in the context of global energy transition. Ensuring a sustainable future of the Arctic, balanced in its ecological, social and economic dimensions, determines the need to consolidate the Arctic as a region of peace, stability and constructive interaction, as well as saving the fragile Arctic ecosystem, developing a monitoring system, including monitoring the melting of permafrost, promoting the principle of responsible development of Arctic resources, protecting and taking into account the interests of the population of the region, including indigenous peoples of the North, the development of scientific and technical cooperation. Achieving this goal is possible only by combining efforts, implementing joint projects and initiatives, and maintaining mutually beneficial multilateral cooperation based on international law.

The session will also present the first results of the ThinkArctic project, implemented jointly by the Roscongress Foundation, the HSE Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies and the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation under the program of Russia's chairmanship in the Arctic Council in 2021-2023. The aim of the project is to promote the Russian agenda in the field of sustainable development, strengthen constructive international dialogue and offer new points of contact for Russia's interaction in high latitudes with all interested countries and organizations.

Moderator
Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Panellists
Jonathan Wood, Research Assistant in Stefánsson Arctic Institute, Akureyri, Iceland Co-Founder of Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, Akureyri, Iceland Editor and Peer Reviewer оf Nordicum Mediterraneum
Venkatesh Varma Datla Bala, Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Indian Republic in the Russian Federation
Glenn Diesen, Professor, University of South-Eastern Norway
Dmitry Kobylkin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection
Nikolay Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council
Zhou Liqun, President, Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia
Alexander Makarov, Director, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Kapoor Nivedita, Post-doctoral Fellow, International Laboratory on World Order Studies and the New Regionalism, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Guo Peiqing, Professor, School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China
Alla Pozdnakova, Professor, University of Oslo
Satish Soni, PVSM, AVSM, NM (Retd)

Venkatesh Varma Datla Bala

Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Indian Republic in the Russian Federation

Dmitry Kobylkin

Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

Born on July 7 1971 in Astrakhan to the family of engineers-geophysicists.
1993: Graduated from Ufa Oil Institute majoring in mining engineering and geophysics. Started work activity in Shelf geophysical group in Gelendzhik.
1993: Invited to the Tarasovskoye Directorate of Geophysical Works in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area as a geophysical engineer.
1994-1995: Geologist with the Tarkosalinskoye oil and gas exploration expedition.
1996-2001: Personnel Director, First Deputy General Director at Purneftegazgeologiya. Starting in 2000, led the development of the Khancheiskoye field and managed oil and gas exploration there.
May 2001: Appointed General Director of Khancheineftegaz.
From 2002: First Deputy Head of the Administration of Purovsky District, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.
2003: Graduated from the occupational retraining institute at the Ural Academy of Public Administration specializing in State and Municipal Management.
2005: Elected Head of the Purovsky District.
2009: Included in the personnel pool of the President of the Russian Federation.
March 2010: Nominated by the Russian President and confirmed as Governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area by the region’s Legislative Assembly.
12 March 2015: Appointed Acting Governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area by Presidential Executive Order.
1 October 2015: Elected Governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area by the region’s Legislative Assembly. The region reaches stable social and economic development in all areas and becomes of the top 5 regional leaders in the Russian Federation.
18 May 2018: Appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Environment by Presidential Executive Order.
Dmitry Kobylkin has multiple awards and titles of honour including:
Certificate of Merit of the Legislative Assembly of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area (2011);
Honorary Citizen of Purovsky District Title (2011);
“For Serving the Justice” Badge of Honour, Federal Arbitration of the Western-Siberian District (2012);
Medal of the Order for Service to the Motherland, Second Degree (by Order of the President of the RF, 2012);
Badge of Honour of the Chamber of Commerce of the RF (2013);
Certificate of Merit by the Ministry for Regional Development of the Russian Federation (2013);
Medal “For Excellence in Emergency Relief Operation”, Ministry of Civil Defence Affairs, Emergencies, and Liquidation of Consequences of Natural Disasters of the Russian Federation;
Badge “For Social Partnership”, All-Russia Trade Union of Education Workers (2015);
Badge of Honour “For input into the development of the legislation of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area”, Legislative Assembly of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area (2015);
Certificate of Merit of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2015);
Medal “For loyalty to the North”, Association of indigenous small peoples of the North, Siberia and Russian Far East (2015);
“Order of the Faithful Saint Prince Daniil of Moscow”, Third Degree, Russian Orthodox Church (2015);
“The Order of Friendship” (by the Order of the President of the RF, 2015)
Badge “For Contribution to International Cooperation” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (2016)
Gratitude of the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2017)
Married, with three children.

Nikolay Korchunov

Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council

Zhou Liqun

President, Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia

Date of birth: 25 October 1963
Place of birth: People’s Republic of China, province of Heilongjiang
Academic degree: PhD
Marital status: married, two children
09.1982 – 07.1998 Bachelor’s degree in electric engineering, Department of Electric Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
09.1986 – 06.1989 Master’s degree in electric engineering, Department of Electric Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
09.1989 – 12.1992 Internship in electric engineering as part of a state programme, Department of Electric Engineering, Moscow Power Engineering Institute (Russia), PhD
12.1992 – 10.1998 General Director of Moscow branch, SINOCHEM;
10.1998 – 2010 President, Apex (HK) Petrochemical; Deputy General Director, Hong Kong Winsway Group (specializing in international trade of petroleum products and petrochemicals);
08.2010 – 04.2017 Deputy General Director, China Chengtong International Investment, responsible for international trade;
04.2017 – present General Director, Centre for Development of Trade and Management of Investment to Europe; General Director, Greenwood.
08.2017 – present President, Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia.
Public work: member of the acting 12th National Political Committee, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Vice President of Society for Chinese-Russian friendship, Deputy Chairman of the CIS branch of the Society of Chinese Graduates of European and US universities, President of the Association of entrepreneurs-graduates of CIS universities, permanent Deputy Chairman of the Association of entrepreneurs-graduates of European and US universities.