The Arctic is Our Home Commentary: Following an unsuccessful attempt at torpedoing international cooperation in the High North, the USA is back on track in the Arctic Council. Not even the Russian foreign minister’s repeated insistence on bringing security issues onto the Council’s table could stifle a rather euphoric summit in Reykjavik, Iceland on Thursday.
Biden Will Mean A Lot to the Arctic, But First Trump the Toddler Must Be Kicked Out Commentary: Donald Trump has occupied the White House in Washington D.C. outside the bunkers, discussions abound about how the USA’s relationship with Europe and the Arctic will develop when Trump the Toddler is back out on the street. Overall, expectations are rather measured.
Strong Chinese Reactions to Pompeo’s Speech US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at China in Rovaniemi. The Chinese reactions were swift.
- Not an unexpected outcome Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide (Conservatives) would have preferred for the eight Arctic states to agree on a joint declaration prior to the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland.
With Seven to One Votes, We Hope the Earth Gets Well Soon, Greetings From the Arctic Council The Arctic Council has with seven to one votes decided to wish the Earth a speedy recovery. Or, as the bureaucratic political phrase in Rovniemi goes:A majority of us noted with concern the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming.
AEC’s Vauraste: Protectionism Very Damaging for the Arctic The protectionism observed in the world during the past few years has hit hard on the Arctic, says the Chairman of the Arctic Economic Council. While he does not see an end to the Russia sanctions quite yet, he nevertheless believes there is space for more economic cooperation in the High North.
MP Argues That Pompeo Provoked Unnecessarily – Fears for High North Cooperation The fact that the Arctic Council could not agree on a joint declaration is embarrassing and will make it more difficult to cooperate in the High North in the future, argues the Chair of the Norwegian parliament’s Delegation for Arctic Cooperation.
Verbal Thunderstorm From Mike Pompeo US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thundered like an elephant into the Arctic Council MInisterial Meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland Monday. If nerves were racked prior to his speech, they were more than shaky when he left the podium after nearly half an hour.
USA Launches Head-On Verbal Attack on Russia and China There are only Arctic and non-Arctic states. There is no third category. And claiming something else gives China exactly zero rights, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo only hours before Tuesday’s Arctic Council meeting commenced.
First Ever Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting Without Joint Declaration Rovaniemi (High North News): "There has been a storm brewing along the way, however, wind makes the ship move forward", Finland’s Foreign Minister Timo Soini said when he opened the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council Tuesday.
Continued Disagreements over Climate Change Appear Likely to Kill an Arctic Council Joint Declaration If no compromise is reached, it will be the first time since the Arctic Council's founding that a ministerial meeting has failed to produce a joint decla
USA’s Climate Skepticism Causes Concern Prior to Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting The Trump administration’s reluctance to acknowledging climate changes as a real problem is at present frustrating a series of climate efforts in the Arctic – efforts that most of the other Arctic states, including the Nordic countries, want to prioritize.
U.S. Sought to Remove References to Climate Change From Declaration The Trump administration wanted no reference to climate change or the Paris international climate agreement in the joint statement to be issued in Finland next week, sources tell Washington Post.
The EU’s Arctic Policy: Eventually Getting Somewhere? "2015 could become a seminal year for the EU’s Arctic engagement", The Arctic Institute's Andreas Østhagen and Andreas Raspotnik writes in this op-ed.
