Japan-Russia interregional cooperation in
the frame of the Northern Forum:
past, present and future
Alexander Sergunin
St. Petersburg State University

Japan-Russia Interregional Cooperation in the Arctic and North –Theory and Practice
3 March 2021

Northern Forum: history
1974: First International Conference on Human Environment
in Northern Regions. Hosted by Hokkaido Governor Naohiro
Dougakinai.
Participants: representatives from the Canadian provincial
governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, andNorthwest Territories; US state governments of Alaska,Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, andWisconsin; and representatives from the capital cities ofFinland, Norway, and Sweden.
The conference focus: environmental, climactic, economic
and social issues.
2Northern Forum: history
1991: Constituent Assembly of the Northern Forum13 representatives of northern regions from 8countries: W.Hikel (Alaska, USA), T.Penikett(Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada), I.Yutreland (Tondheim,Novergia), F.Bierkan (Landsdelsutvalget, Bodo, Ussr)
A. Krashakov (Chukotka, USSR), Zh.Tinong(Heilongjiang, China), D.Dagwasuren (Choibalsan,Mongolia), M. Suzuki (Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan)
adopted and signed the Charter of the NorthernForum.

Northern Forum: history• Priorities for cooperation: environment
protection, conservation of biodiversity, youth• 1993 – 2004 - Sakhalin Region was a member ofthe Northern Forum. During the membership
period, the Sakhalin Region took part in all themain events and meetings of the Northern Forum.
• Sakhalin-Hokkaido cooperation.
• 2001: 1st Youth Eco-forum, Edmonton, Canada.
Japanese and Russian young people took an active
part in the forum.
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Northern Forum: history• Japanese government organization NEDO with theGovernment of Kamchatka Krai and "Russian Joint
Stock Company of the Energy System of the East"
built a unique wind power complex inUst-Kamchatsk (Russia).
• The Conference “Development of Renewable
Energy in the Far East of Russia”: regional
cooperation on the development of renewableenergy and alternative sources of energy isanalyzed on the regular basis.
5Northern Forum: forms of cooperation• September 2016: Sakha-Yakutian President Egor
Borisov met the Hokkaido Governor Harumi
Takahashi. Agreements between the Yakutian
government and Hokkaido corporation + Almaz
Bank and Hokkaido Bank, Ltd. Mr. Borisov calledfor Hokkaido to resume its NF membership.
• 2016: Greenhouse in Yakutsk• 2017: medical waste treatment plant in Yakutsk• Hangalas district: construction of thegreenhouse6

Venues for cooperation• Northern Sustainable Development
Forum September 24-28, 2019, Yakutsk.
Japanese delegation took part in theForum.
• Hokkaido Bank, Ltd.: promising areas forcooperation: agriculture, seafood, marine
biotechnologies• Inter-university cooperation
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Forms of cooperation•2019: Kamchatka LNG terminal: Novatek, Japan Bankfor International Cooperation, Mitsui O.S.K. Linessigned an agreement on construction of the terminal.
•2019: Arctic LNG-2: Novatek and Japan Arctic LNG(Mitsui and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals NationalCorporation)•2020: The Russo-Japanese Inter-regional
cooperation Year. Priorities: (1) reindeer herding; (2)transport infrastructure in the northeast Arctic; (3)Arctic island development; (4) Arctic data centers.
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NF membership:
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Akureyri (Iceland)
Alaska (USA)
Chukotka AO (Russia)
Gangwon Province (Korea)
Kamchatka krai
Khabarovsk krai (Russia)
Khanty - Mansiysk AO (Russia)
Krasnoyarskiy Krai (Russia)
Lapland (Finland)
Magadan oblast (Russia)
Nenetskiy AO (Russia)
Primorsky kray
Sakha Republic (Russia)
Yamal - Nenets AO (Russia)
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NF Working Groups

Regional Adaptation to climate change
Environment and Conservation of Biodiversity
Development of Energy in the North
Housing in the Arctic
Transportation in the North
Business Cooperation in the North
Health in the North and Social Issues
CultureEducation and Research
Assessment of Quality of Life in the Arctic Regions10

NF business partners
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Northern Forum Academy (Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia)
Arctic Portal (Akureyri, Iceland)Institute of the North (Alaska, USA)
Arctic Business Relations LLC of UkpeaġvikIñupiat Corporation»(UIC) (Alaska, USA)CMYK Master Polygraphy LLC (Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia)
SuluS LLC (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Energy Saving Technologies LLC (Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia)
Lapland Chamber of Commerce (Finland)
French Polar Cluster (France)
High North Center for Business and Governance of the Business
School at Nord University (Norway)
Hokkaido International Exchange and Cooperation Center (Japan)
Alaska Native Heritage Center (Alaska, USA)
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