Admiral Robert J. Papp, Department of State Special Representative for the Arctic, visited Montreal for a series of outreach activities including his first public speaking engagement in Canada following the handover of the Arctic Chairmanship from Canada to the United States. The Consulate was pleased to support a workshop and public conference on the topic of U.S. Arctic Policy hosted by the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur les relations internationales du Canada et du Québec (CIRRICQ). This second annual “Policy Options for a Changing Arctic” event was envisioned by International Visitor Leadership Program Alumnus Joël Plouffe as an opportunity to promote synergy between policy and science as a way to foster a better understanding of complex geopolitical issues.
Throughout the day, Admiral Papp engaged with American and Canadian scholars, past and future leaders of the Arctic Council Chairmanship, representatives from local NGOs, students, policy makers and the media to discuss the U.S. agenda on Arctic Ocean governance, climate change, economic, environmental, and security issues in the Arctic region.
In his keynote address, Admiral Papp praised Canada’s stewardship of the Arctic Council over the past two years and recognized the cooperation between the two countries as a “tremendous opportunity to work and to grow together.”
For more photos of the day, please visit our Flickr album and CIRRICQ’s Facebook page.
