U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Stockholm, Sweden, May 14 to meet with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt in order to discuss the Arctic Council, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and other issues, the State Department said Friday. According to a statement from State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, Kerry will then travel to Kiruna, Sweden, to attend the Arctic Council's Ministerial Meeting May 15. “The Arctic Council is the only diplomatic forum focused solely on the entire Arctic region," Psaki said. “The Council addresses the challenges of climate and environmental change, biodiversity and oceans, among other issues." “Secretary Kerry will join the Foreign Ministers of the seven other Arctic states, as well as the representative of the Arctic indigenous peoples, to review the accomplishments of the Arctic Council and approve the Council's work plan for the next two years," the statement said. At the meeting, the ministers will sign the Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response Agreement. “The Agreement will forge strong partnerships in advance of an oil spill so that Arctic countries can quickly and cooperatively respond before it endangers lives and threatens fragile ecosystems," Psaki said. “The Ministers will also approve recommendations from an experts report on Ecosystem-Based Management."
