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Arctic strategic security centre opens in Arkhangelsk

Archbishop Daniil 1st of Arkhangelsk blessed the new analytic centre at the opening ceremony.

The Arctic information and analytical center will have a strong focus on national security topics.

Location

The Arctic information and analytical center is part of Russia’s Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS) and will be oriented to the issues of Russian state policy in the High North areas with strong focus at the national security topics.

RISS is a big and powerful analytical institute established in 1992 in the structure of Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. In 2009, RISS was re-established as a unit of the Administration of the President of Russian Federation. 

According to its Statute the Institute provides informational support to the top federal structures including the President of Russia, the Federal Council, the Security Council, the Government of Russia. Director of the Institute Lieutenant General Leonid Reshetnikov has a background of high-ranking official of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. His last position was the Head of Information and Analytical Department of this powerful agency. 

RISS is engaged in the studies of Russia’s relations with the foreign countries. The Institute makes analysis of the trends of political and social-economic processes on the global and regional levels, studies the possible ways of sustaining strategic stability.  

The new center will operate as a unit of the Northern Arctic Federal University. Arkhangelsk became the 8th city in Russia where RISS develops its activity. Also, RISS has a number of units abroad: in Bulgaria, Turkey, Finland and France.  

In his speech at the opening ceremony yesterday Mr. Leonid Reshetnikov stressed that by establishing a new analytical center in Arkhangelsk the Federal authorities demonstrates a necessity to justify scientifically the national interests of Russia in the North especially in the current complicated international situation. At the opening Mr. Reshetnikov strongly criticized the position of the United States and the EU in the Crimean crisis, but mentioned that the center will be opened for cooperation with other research institutions on the regional and international level. 

The new director of the Arctic information and analytical center was appointed Mr. Vsevolod Osipov who worked as an assistant of the Rector of Northern Arctic Federal University.