Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their priorities for the forthcoming Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Finland on 7 May, particularly in relation to their commitment, in the Defence Arctic Strategy, to put the Arctic and the High North central to the security of the UK.

​The priority of Her Majesty's Government is to maintain the Arctic as a peaceful and stable region. At the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in May, we will reaffirm our commitment to support the Arctic Council in its work to promote cooperation and coordination on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection, and to work in partnership with the eight Arctic States and the region's indigenous peoples to that end. The Arctic Council does not discuss security or defence matters. The United Kingdom will be represented at the meeting by a senior official of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, in accordance with our status as an observer.