WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Lisa Murkowski, on Tuesday visited the State Department for a face-to-face meeting with Secretary John Kerry, where she continued her work with international global leaders to pave a path towards an effective Arctic strategy for the United States.

During the meeting, Senator Murkowski raised the issue of defining the United States’ action plan in anticipation of the United States assuming the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in May 2015, with Murkowski expressing a desire for increased activity by the State Department to be actively engaged in creating a detailed action plan. Secretary Kerry agreed with her that a clear agenda laying out concrete goals with input from all stakeholders would be developed.

“Alaskans know the position we’re in at this moment; they read it and hear it every day: ‘America is an Arctic Nation,’ ‘the Arctic is an abundant region, full of opportunities’ and ‘we need to map out an Arctic Future.’ These are all true, broad facts, but the most crucial step is the next one: what next and how do we move forward right now?” said Murkowski. “We must dig in on the details now about what our next steps are – because our neighbors in the Arctic Circle have already begun moving forward and we cannot fall further behind.”