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"This is about the state of the realm and security," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' State Secretary, Maria Varteressian, about the High North policy in an interview with High North News.

We met with Varteressian in Bodø on Tuesday during the launch of the Norwegian government's new High North strategy. It was presented in the cities of Kirkenes, Tromsø, and Bodø.

Norway in the North. Arctic Policy in a New Reality [ed. translation] is the name of the new strategy, which replaces the previous one by the Solberg Cabinet in 2017.

The geopolitical situation today is of an entirely different kind, with geopolitical upheaval, war in Europe, and climate change, which has strengthened the interest in, and pressure on, the High North, reads the strategy.

"When our surroundings change, we must adjust our policy," it furthermore states.

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"Not an exhaustive list"

In the new document, the government highlights five areas of priority, which will form the basis of the Government’s High North policy going forward:

• Norwegian freedom of action and influence in the High North
• Total defence that ensures security, activity and preparedness in the north
• Safe and thriving local communities
• Infrastructure that builds communities
• Business development that creates value

We asked Varteressian what she considers the most important aspect of the new strategy.

"One of the most important aspects is that we are connecting the billion investment in the Armed Forces, research and preparedness with societal development, where we see several needs in context. We look at what is needed to create viable communities in the North. This is significant for the country as a whole."

The state secretary is clear that the strategy is to function as a compass, a working document, and is by no means an exhaustive list.

"We will be using this actively in the entire MFA, and other investments will come on top of this," she said, referring a.o. to the NOK 1 billion to polar research, among other things.

"The key has been to design a document that covers a wide spectrum, but which also is clear in its priorities," she added.

"Need to think differently"

How does this strategy differ from the previous strategy from 2017?

"The description of Russia, in particular," said Varteressian, referring to the previous close cooperation that characterized the relationship with Russia in the North.

"In this document, a starting point is Russia being the biggest security policy threat to Europe since World War 2. We need to think differently about how to cooperate north in the Nordic region, in NATO, but also circumpolar, in order to be more secure."

Northern Nordic focus

How prominent is the cooperation with Sweden and Finland in this strategy?

"This is one of our foremost priorities and we call it the Northern Nordic cooperation. The Northern Nordic dimension can be found in the five areas of priority (see fact box)," she said and continued:

"The MFA will also have a dedicated resource who will work on Northern Nordic projects. There will be a strong focus on the political and on collaboration with our Finnish and Swedish collegues."

Focus on East-West connections

The Norwegian Minister of Transport, Jon-Ivar Nygård, was also present in Bodø. He elaborated on the strategy's infrastructure dimension. He also points to the deepened cooperation with Sweden and Finland in this area.

"The investment in transport and infrastructure is based on the National Transport Plan (NTP). It has a clear focus on East-West connections, which are pointed out as important for military mobility, among other things. The Ofoten Line [between Norway and Sweden in the north, ed.note] is one of the prime examples," said Nygård and added:

"Significant investments are also happening in roads and infrastructure in the northern region, with the Hålogaland road, the E6 project between Megården and Sommerset, and with two airports in Mo i Rana and Bodø. In addition, new projects will arise via the National Transport Plan."

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Civil and military needs

Does the strategy include any new measures for the Ofoten Line specifically?

"The National Transport Plan includes plans for the building of three new passing loops. This has been signalled to Bane NOR and they plan accordingly. In addition, the axle load limit is expanded to 32,5 tonnes so that the line can withstand more weight and dimensions. This is important to the Armed Forces," he explained.

"In addition, it is important for us to deepen and develop the cooperation with our Nordic colleagues even more. We have a cooperation between agencies across country borders. There is cooperation between us ministers, and we have instituted the civil services in the respective countries to explore how we can create a joint strategy to develop border-crossing corridors."

Varteressian also points out the significance of the infrastructure cooperation between Sweden and Finland in connection with the investment in defense, security, and preparedness.

"This strategy comes on top of other important guiding political documents, such as the National Security Strategy and the National Transport Plan, in which both ambitions and needs are to be seen in the context of both the military and the civilian."

A serious strategy

Andreas Østhagen, the Research Director of Arctic and Ocean Politics at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, notes the grave backdrop of the High North Strategy.

"This impacts the entire strategy and is clear in many of the prioritized areas: defense and security policy is the driver. It is an interesting turn, which is obviously natural, but it is still a shift compared to earlier documents, such as the previous Arctic white paper," says Østhagen to HNN.

"In my opinion, this is an High North Strategy with a much more serious tone than what we have seen before. It contains a lesser focus on traditional topics such as international cooperation and the Arctic Council. Now, the focus is more on the regional. Among other things, the County Council is highlighted as a central player," he continues, referring to the increased focus on collaboration with Sweden and Finland.

"There are also some specific measures. A lot revolves around stimulating everything from business growth to stopping depopulation and managing the population situation in Troms and Finnmark. Whether this is enough, and whether a lot has already been done or would be carried out anyway, is hard to say."

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