The statement reads in part:
“Russia and France believe that the protection of the indigenous peoples of the Planet is an important element of the policy of sustained development and protection of the environment, to which both countries attach particular significance.
“Noting with satisfaction the development of the National Polar Academy in St Petersburg which has moved into new premises on the eve of the tercentenary of St Petersburg, the Russian and French authorities stressed their commitment to continue the cooperation.
“They express their support for the National Polar Academy, on the Russian side, and the Higher School of Social Studies – Arctic Exploration Centre and the National Natural History Museum – the Jean Malaurie Polar Fund, on the French side, seeking to promote scientific and university exchanges and thus contribute to the creation of a common space in the sphere of higher education and research between Russia and France.
“Russia and France also attach great importance to the programmes of training personnel for the Russian Far North at the Polar Academy with the support of the French Foreign Ministry. These programmes are part of the privileged partnership both countries are engaged in in the field of administrative cooperation and government reform.”