Tillerson headed to Alaska for Arctic Council meeting

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Alaska on May 10 and May 11 in order to attend the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Fairbanks, the State Department announced on Tuesday.

“At the Ministerial Meeting, representatives from the eight Arctic States will discuss issues of mutual interest and review the accomplishments of the U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship,” the department said in a statement.

{mosads}During his visit, Tillerson will hand off the two-year rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council to Finland. 

According to the statement, Tillerson will also celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Arctic Council, meet with indigenous representatives to the organization, and conduct bilateral talks with attending foreign diplomats.

The Arctic Council is an international forum that promotes cooperation among Arctic states and includes Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the U.S.

Under President Obama’s administration, Secretary of State John Kerry represented the U.S. in the Arctic Council and vowed to focus on climate change in order to preserve the northern environment.