Add to favorite
 
123
Subscribe to our Newsletters Subscribe to our Newsletters Get Daily Updates RSS


'Good Neighbor Policy' Promoted by Alaska's Elite
December 8, 2014 11:25


Photo Credit: http://www.adn.com
Nils Andreassen, executive director of the Institute of the North, is pushing for cooperation rather than hatred in an Op-Ed piece on Russia-US relations in the Alaska Dispatch News.
Disregarding the mantra of the mainstream media, he shares his impressions of meeting Russians.
“In Yakutia I found warm hearts, keen intellects and sharp wits. Even better, I heard again and again a commitment to circumpolar cooperation. Gov. Hickel anticipated this more than 40 years ago and worked to strengthen these relationships throughout his career. He was there just a decade ago, in fact, and those friendships still stand strong. To rephrase Hickel, “why sanctions, why not a good neighbor policy?” Alaska’s leadership is critical right now and establishes a working relationship that will be very necessary in the coming years,” he says.
Both Yakutia and Alaska are struggling to deliver affordable energy to remote communities, develop appropriate transportation infrastructure and benefit from a strong resource-based economy, says Andreassen.
He also noticed the impact that sanctions are having on Russia’s economy. “Communities and individuals are tightening their belts and making do with less at a time when a changing climate and increased activity in the Arctic demands more investment and effective governance,” he says.
“That doesn’t seem like it is in Alaska’s best interests, nor does it feel right, when Alaska and the Russian Arctic could work together for mutual benefit,” he goes on to say.
“The bilateral framework on energy lets Alaska leverage its expertise in this field, drawing on the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Alaska Center for Energy and Power, the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, and the Alaska Energy Authority. There are also a number of partners to draw from in the private sector and from communities that are at the forefront in considering and implementing innovative solutions. Alaska is a world leader in microgrid development and especially wind-diesel integration. The state has also made significant investments in emerging energy technology and renewable energy adoption,” Andreassen suggests.
“People-to-people approach is especially critical when nation-to-nation isn’t working,” he concludes. 



Author: Mikhail Vesely

Tags: sanctions Alaska Russian International   

Next Previous

You might also find interesting:

CNN Is Back Moscow Quarantine: Possible Consequences More Russian Banks Will Be Closed The Russian Economy Has Reached Bottom And Pushed Off From It Oil Prices Are Predicted To Fall









Comment on our site


RSS   twitter      submit


Ïàðòåð


TAGS:
Children's Art  Museums of Russia  Valery Todorovsky  Kolomenskoye  Russian scientists  Murmansk Region  Russian science  travel to Russia  Russian IT sector  Lipetsk Region  Russian history  Russia  Russian political parties  Russian programmers  Resources  ice town  Elections 2012  TASS  National Dress  Online Exhibitions  Ilya Muromets  Russian business  The Great Silk Road  Russian army  International Muslim Film Festival  St. Petersburg  Russian Cinema  Krasnoyarsk  Russian press  Learned Cat   Russian tourism  Central House of Artist  Erarta Museum of Modern Art  tolerance in Russia  Archeological Finds  Russian economy  Moscow  Exhibitions in Moscow  Moscow airports  Russian Rock Music  Marc Quinn  Russian gaz  Mikhail Degtyarev  human rights  Sochi Olympics  Artiom Dzyuba  All-Russia Exhibition Center  Troitsk  Chelyabinsk meteorite  Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia 


Travel Blogs
Top Traveling Sites