Russia announces withdrawal from the Council of the European Arctic Circle in the Barents Sea
On the 18th, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on its official website, announcing Russia's withdrawal from the Council of the European Arctic Circle in the Barents Sea.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that for the past 30 years, the Council of the European Arctic Circle in the Barents Sea has been an effective mechanism for cross regional interaction, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, sustainable development, environmental protection, and cultural exchanges in the Arctic. However, due to the fault of Western members, the activities of the council have been almost paralyzed since March 2022. The current President of the Council, Finland, has not confirmed that the rotating presidency will be transferred to the Russian side in October 2023, which violates the principle of rotation and disrupts relevant work preparations. Therefore, the Russian side was forced to announce its withdrawal from the mechanism and had already submitted the relevant letter from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to the relevant parties on the same day.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Russia firmly believes that the current political situation in the Nordic region is not in line with the long-term interests of Arctic residents. Russia will continue to achieve its national goals in the Arctic region, and is open to interacting with all constructive and willing parties engaged in equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The Council of the European Arctic Circle in the Barents Sea was established in 1993 as a regional intergovernmental organization to support and promote regional cooperation. Its members include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the European Commission. The Council is chaired by Norway, Finland, Russia, and Sweden on a rotating basis.
The medication and follow-up examination after myopia surgery are directly related to the recovery effect of the surgery. Experts such as Zhang Fengju have stated that postoperative medication must strictly follow the doctor's advice and not blindly increase or decrease the dosage. The time for re examination is generally one day, one week, one month, three months, six months, and one year after the surgery, and routine re examination at the hospital is required at these time points. After surgery, if there is eye trauma, sharp decline in vision, eye pain, elevated intraocular pressure, etc., timely medical attention should also be sought.
Russian fighter jets are flying alongside American reconnaissance planes over the Barents Sea
On the 18th, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on social media that a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet conducted a companion flight with a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Barents Sea.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that on the same day, Russian surveillance equipment discovered a target approaching the Russian border over the Barents Sea. A MiG-31 fighter jet from the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet immediately took off to identify it, confirming that the target was a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. Russian fighter jets carried out accompanying flights to prevent it from violating the Russian border. The US reconnaissance aircraft turned and flew away after finding that the Russian fighter was close.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Russian fighter jets always comply with international airspace usage rules during flight.
NATO planes led by the United States often approach the Russian border for reconnaissance activities, which Russia has firmly opposed.