Izvestia: Canada-Russia spat could derail Arctic Council oil spill plan – Nunatsiaq News
March 31, 2015
Russia newspaper alleges DFAIT minister wants to avoid meetings with Russian officials
Bad blood between Canada and Russia, arising from the Ukraine conflict, threatens to derail the expected signing of an Arctic Council oil-spill response action plan this April 24 in Iqaluit, the Russian-language newspaper Izvestia reported last week.
In the article, published online March 24, Izvestia claimed that Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson does not want to be seen at the Iqaluit meeting with senior Russian officials.
“Canadian Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson has refused to go to a meeting,” Izvestia said, saying the Canadian foreign affairs department will send Canadian senior Arctic official Susan Harper instead.
