On February 3, 2023, the Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences (IE RAS), and Georgy Arbatov Institute for U.S. and Canada Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (ISKRAN), held a scientific conference entitled "Russia and the World: Competition and Cooperation in the Arctic". Research fellows and young scientists from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU), Saint Petersburg State University, and the Bonch-Bruevich Saint Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (SPbSUT) also took part in the forum. During the event, participants discussed actual trends in the economic, social, military, and scientific spheres of Arctic exploration at the beginning of 2023. Participants identified changes taking place in international Arctic policy after the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the consequences of the boycott of Russia`s chairmanship of the Arctic Council. In discussions, contributors deliberated on possible trends in the transformation of regional structures, Russia's efforts in the development of the Arctic territories, the Northern Sea Route, and possible directions for the restoration of international scientific cooperation in the Arctic. At the initiative of the Administration of the ISKRAN, all the participants got the offer to prepare their publications for the journal "Russia and America in the XXI century". The editors of the journal along with the conference organizers thank all the authors, prepared papers for this special issue.
Andrey Evseenko,
Scientific Secretary ISKRAN