The 5th Arctic Leaders Summit organized by RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North) got off to a flying start Wednesday, 14 April. The summit takes place in the conference hall of Hotel Cosmos, Moscow. Some 100 participants were greeted with a traditional welcome ceremony performed by Russian Indigenous artists. Guests were made to ceremoniously pass under a gate of wooden sticks, and each had to tie a colored ribbon round a string crossing the conference hall before being treated with canapés of traditional food.

Indigenous representatives from all over the circumpolar region together with politicians, diplomats, and officials of the Arctic states, the UN and EU, as well as industrial executives attended this first day of the ALS V. All groups gave statements and made presentations during the day.

The ALS V is chaired by RAIPON President Sergey Haruchi. Guests of Honor include the International Chair of ICC (Inuit Circumpolar Council) James Stotts, representatives of four of the Permanent Participants as well as Danish Chair of the Arctic Council Lars Moller, officials of UNDP and the European Commission, Indigenous representatives of the Barents cooperation, and several Russian governmental and parliamentary representatives.

The overall theme of the ALS V: "Industrial development of the Arctic under climate change - new challenges for indigenous peoples." The first day centered on industrial development and environmental questions mainly from indigenous and industrialist perspectives.

Among other things, Deputy Chief Danny Cresswell of the AAC (Arctic Athabaskan Council), seconded by Swedish Saami Parliament official Stefan Mikaelsson, directly addressed Arctic Council Chair Lars Moller about support to have a  draft Nordic Saami Declaration referenced in future Arctic Council declarations. This declaration calls for a homogenizing of legislative and institutional frameworks concerning Saami people in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

RAIPON rounded of the this first day of the ALS V by hosting a grand reception in the neighboring All-Russia Exhibition Centre (formerly VDNKh). The reception featured splendid performances by indigenous ensembles of dancers, singers, and musicians from all over indigenous Russia.

More updates on the last day of the ALS V as well as the celebration of RAIPON's 20th anniversary to be posted shortly.