Commissioner Joe Borg to deliver keynote speech at Arctic conference

Joe Borg, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, will be in Berlin this evening to deliver the keynote address at an international conference on new chances and new responsibilities in the Arctic region. This major 3-day event, organised by the German Foreign Office, in cooperation with the Foreign Offices of Denmark and Norway, will bring together participants from a number of countries and a variety of spheres, including politics, business, science and civil society. In his address Mr Borg will outline the EU's vision for the Arctic and emphasise how dialogue with the indigenous communities and international cooperation involving Arctic States, peoples and the wider international community hold the key to lasting and effective solutions to the problems facing the region. The conference will comprise plenary sessions and three thematic forums ? a first focusing on the environment, research and social issues, a second on resources and maritime traffic, and a third on international law. It will focus on reconciling conflicting interests in the Arctic, on co-operation among Arctic and non-Arctic states, and on the role of supranational organisations such as the EU and UN.