Finnish Business Community took over AEC Chairmanship at AEC Annual Meeting
The Arctic Economic Council (AEC) says its Annual Meeting was held in Fairbanks, Alaska on May 8-9, 2017. The meeting represented the end of the two-year American Chairmanship of the AEC. At the end of the Annual Meeting, the Finnish Business Community took over the AEC Chairmanship and the new AEC gavel.
As well as continuing the advancement of the AEC’s five overarching themes, the Finnish businesses community’s AEC Chairmanship will focus on promoting three highlighted themes. These are in line with the Finnish Arctic Council Chairmanship program. The highlighted themes are Interconnected Arctic, Competent Arctic, Safe Arctic.
First on the agenda of the Finnish Chairmanship is the Top of the World Arctic Broadband Summit in Oulu, Finland. The Top of the World Arctic Broadband Summit takes place on June 14-15, 2017 and will gather representatives of business, technology, academia and decision makers to discuss connectivity in the Arctic.
The AEC Annual Meeting consist of all the Legacy Members of the AEC, i.e. three business representatives from all eight Arctic States, and three business representatives from the six indigenous organizations represented at the Arctic Council. In addition, for the first time, a non-voting member was also present at the meeting. The AEC’s first Northern Partner is Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
The Annual Meeting also elected a new Executive Committee, which will be led by Tero Vauraste of Finland. Together with him on the Executive Committee Mr. Vauraste has Vice Chairs Tara Sweeney of Alaska representing ICC, Erling Kvadsheim of Norway, Evgeniy Ambrosov of Russia and Róbert Guðfinnsson of Iceland. Mr. Guðfinnsson is new to the Executive Committee.
The Arctic Economic Council chairmanship mirrors that of the Arctic Council.
