On 26^th and 27^th of June the 24^th annual meeting of RAPP was held in Khabarovsk. It is hard to overestimate the meaning of this event for the development of interregional cooperation between Russia and the USA. RAPP is a well-known forum with participation of local and federal authorities and private sector. Acting rector of KSUEL Irina Zikunova and head of KSUEL’s research center Aleksandr Voronenko participated in bypassed event.

Program of the meeting comprised actual issues of bilateral relations between countries: cooperation in energy area, development of commercial, economic and tourist ties between the Far East of Russia and western coast of the USA, extension of scientific and public relations in the Eastern Arctic.

Aleksandr Voronenko was a moderator of the session dedicated to the cooperation of Russia and the USA in the Pacific Arctic. Here is his comment to the event: «Session participants in theirs reports showed the significant potential for the extension of the cooperation in science, education, marine transportation, fishery and port infrastructure development. At the same time we had to acknowledge that this potential is not implemented fully, because of the lack of mechanism for Russian-American bilateral dialogue in the Eastern Arctic. That is why as a result of the discussion we carried a consentient decision to support the initiative of Economic Research Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Science about the forming of working group inside RAPP in order to explore the opportunity of establishment of «The Bilateral Russian-US Council of Bering Strait and Pacific Arctic». This suggestion will be included into the final resolution of 24^th RAPP meeting. I hope that it will find the approval from foreing affairs authorities of both countries, which representatives also took part in RAPP forum. It is a pleasure that our American counterparts, despite the anti-Russian restrictions and rhetoric, apprehended this idea with huge enthusiasm. The honorary chair of non-profit organization for assistance to maritime transportation in Alaska «Marine Exchange of Alaska» Mr. Paul Fuhz volunteered to form the working group on the US side. Of course our Research Center will also take active participation in this process. I believe that this work will help to fix a dialogue and enhance the mutual trust between our countries in the Eastern Arctic».