The Latest: Tillerson arrives in Alaska for Arctic meeting

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Latest on a meeting of the Arctic Council (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

The secretary of state is in Fairbanks for a meeting with the world’s eight Arctic nations amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Donald Trump called for more oil drilling and development.

Rex Tillerson landed on Wednesday afternoon and immediately held a meeting with a congressional delegation as well as Arctic representatives from Alaska’s indigenous people.

Protesters gathered in a city park nearby to denounce the presence of Tillerson, who is the former president of Exxon Mobil Corp.

The Arctic Council is an advisory body that promotes co-operation among member nations and indigenous groups. Its focus is sustainable development and environmental protection of the Arctic.

It does not make policy or allocate resources, and its decisions must be unanimous.

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10 p.m.

High-level officials from the world’s eight Arctic nations will meet in Alaska amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Trump called for more oil drilling and development.

Among those expected to attend the meeting of the Arctic Council beginning Thursday in Fairbanks are U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who met Wednesday with Trump and Tillerson in Washington.

No formal discussions were set on key issues such as climate change, development and drilling. But those issues will provide a backdrop as the chairmanship of the council passes from the U.S. to Finland.

The Arctic Council is an advisory body that promotes co-operation among member nations and indigenous groups. Its focus is sustainable development and environmental protection of the Arctic.