Abstract:

The authors have presented the research of the conceptual foundations and key priorities of the Arctic policy of circumpolar states in the paper.  The relevance of the research is determined by the geopolitical and economic significance of the Arctic.  At the same time, there is no any unified international legal center that establishes legal and normative standards of activities in the Arctic.  Circumpolar states together and individually develop legal framework of a country, taking into account the following: firstly, their priorities; secondly, the existing legal status of land, water and air spaces of the Arctic; thirdly, global interests of the present and future of the planet.  In the presented paper, the authors have revealed some key priorities of the state Arctic policies of circumpolar countries on the base of the analysis of political and programmatic documents.  The analysis of political and programmatic documents has shown that the state Arctic policies of the circumpolar countries are focused on expanding of external interaction in the Arctic and maintaining the sustainable development of their own Arctic territories.  Certain of main disadvantages of the circumpolar countries’ Arctic strategies have been determined.  According to the analysis of the conceptual framework and key priorities of the Arctic policies of the circumpolar countries, the conclusion concerning declarative nature of national Arctic strategies has been drawn.  It has been shown that main institutions for the practical realization of Arctic policies are regional strategies for socio-economic development. National priorities and regional opportunities is the basis for the development of regional strategies.