Grateful Minister of Foreign Affairs

After the successful SAO meeting in Kautokeino the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, has sent an official letter of gratitude to the people in Kautokeino for their enthusiastic efforts to make the meeting a success.

The minister underlined that increasing our knowledge about the different Arctic cultures is an important part of the Arctic cooperation. Through the meetings during the Norwegian chairmanship Norway has tried to present several faces of the Arctic part of the country. The meeting in Kautokeino was an important part of this and was a brilliant example of a sustainable and viable society in the North.

"The Arctic Council is the only forum which gathers all eight Arctic countries and where the indigenous people in the area are permanent participants. This makess the council a unique platform for cooperation about our common borderless challenges such as climate, the environment and sustainable development. The Meeting in Kautokeino was a serious step in realizing the goals of the Norwegian chairmanship. Also we had a developing discussion about the future role of the increasing number of observers to the Arctic Council", wrote Mr. Støre.