Arctic Economic Council meets in Alaska next week

By Hege Eilertsen, High North News May 3, 2017
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“I am excited for Finland to take over because they have great ideas.", AEC Chair Tara Sweeney told High North News in Tromsø in February. (Hege Eilertsen / High North News)
“I am excited for Finland to take over because they have great ideas.”, AEC Chair Tara Sweeney told High North News in Tromsø in February. (Hege Eilertsen / High North News)

The Arctic Economic Council will hold its annual meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Tuesday May 9, just one day before the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting takes place in the same city.

The annual meeting convenes all representatives of the council. AEC members consist of business representatives from the eight Arctic States as well as representatives of six indigenous organizations.

For the first time, the AEC non-voting members will be able to participate in the meeting.

The meeting will also mark the end of the U.S. chairmanship of the AEC, and the start of the Finnish Chairmanship 2017-2019.

The business forum, which held its inaugural meeting in September 2014, was created to facilitate Arctic business-to-business activities, promote responsible economic development and provide a circumpolar business perspective to the work of the Arctic Council.

“Since we started from a blank piece of paper we have made tremendous progress,” chair of the Arctic Economic Council, Tara Sweeney, told High North News in February.