The Head of the Russian Federation’s Council for Northern Affairs and Indigenous Peoples, Gennady D. Oleynik, in the United Nation’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues highlighted that Russia will give priority to the ensuring of indigenous peoples’ legal and political situation. Last year, the Russian Federation approved a policy for the Arctic (“for 2020 and beyond”), which includes initiatives aiming at improving the quality of life for indigenous peoples, as well as preservation of their languages, BarentsIndigenous.org reports