Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sam Tan will visit Russia from 24 to 27 March 2018.
From 24 to 25 March, MOS Tan will visit Salekhard, the administrative centre of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) at the invitation of the President of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) Grigorii Ledkov. MOS Tan will meet State Governor of YNAO Dmitry Kobylkin, RAIPON representatives, and engage Arctic indigenous peoples who are gathering in Salekhard to celebrate the arrival of Spring. MOS Tan has been invited to attend and speak at the Opening Ceremony of the Day of Reindeer Herders, an important festival for the Arctic indigenous peoples which celebrates their heritage.
RAIPON is one of six Arctic Council Permanent Participants (PPs) that represent the Arctic indigenous peoples. MOS Tan’s visit is part of our ongoing engagement of these indigenous communities since we were granted observer status in the Arctic Council in 2013.
On 26 March, MOS Tan will visit Moscow and meet with First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Vladimir Titov and Special Representative of the President on International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Artur Chilingarov. On 27 March, MOS Tan will visit the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in St Petersburg to discuss potential collaboration in Arctic research.
MOS Tan will be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Climate Change Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
23 MARCH 2018