Reuters) - Norway will apply lessons learnt in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in its approach to opening new hydrocarbon exploration zones in the Arctic region, the country's prime minister said on Monday.

10 rescue centers will be built in Russia’s Arctic coastal regions with the aim to monitor and prevent emerging incidents.

Scientists will head north to conduct climate change research.

The Arctic Council's nations will send environment minister this week to Ilulissat, Greenland to discuss Arctic shipping and marine safety.

The Norwegian Minister of Environment says Norway and Russia should learn from the spills in the Gulf of Mexico and base policies in the newly delineated waters in the Barents Sea on careful conduct.

The Arjeplog Arvidsjaur uranium prospect in northern Sweden is reportedly giving encouraging results.

Russian Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev believes the spills in the Gulf of Mexico will slow down the development of new offshore fields.

French interest towards the High North is increasing. In two weeks time, the French Prime Minister François Fillon will visit Hammerfest, Finnmark, in June.

Information from the Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials: For the first time in the history of the Arctic Council a meeting was held between Deputy Ministers in Copenhagen on 27 May 2010. The meeting was a part of the Danish Chairmanship programme in the Arctic Council, which will conclude at the Ministerial Meeting in May 2011.

As Natural Resources Canada consults the affected Nunavut communities about the proposal to conduct seismic testing Lancaster Sound, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association is leading the charge against it.