No New Structure for Northern Nordic Cooperation in Sight? Rovaniemi, Finland (High North News): At the end of the year, Finland will withdraw from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, and the search for a new cooperation framework has so far not yielded any tangible results. “I really hope that we find a common path forward,” says Hanna Honkamäkilä in the Council of Oulu Region.
The Norwegian Ministry of Public Security Responds to Preparedness Criticism The Norwegian government’s new preparedness proposal for the High North falls short, expert believes. The Ministry of Public Security is now responding to the criticism. "The government is working on further measures," says State Secretary Kristine Kallset.
Professor: Norway’s New Preparedness Proposal for the High North Falls Short The Norwegian Government recently announced the development of a national preparedness action zone in the northernmost counties of Northern Norway. This is good in principle, but the government is late and is preparing a too small an investment, believes Professor Odd Jarl Borch.
Call From Longyearbyen for Increased Norwegian Military Presence in Svalbard Harstad (High North News): Norway must be able to defend Svalbard, believes Terje Aunevik, Chair of the Longyearbyen Community Council. At the same time, he and the County Chair for Finnmark Socialist Left are calling for proper strengthening of critical infrastructure in the North.
Call From Longyearbyen for Increased Norwegian Military Presence in Svalbard Harstad (High North News): Norway must be able to defend Svalbard, believes Terje Aunevik, Chair of the Longyearbyen Community Council. At the same time, he and the County Chair for Finnmark Socialist Left are calling for proper strengthening of critical infrastructure in the North.
Stoltenberg: “Narvik Is History, but Also the Future in Terms of Security and Defense” Narvik, Northern Norway (High North News): "Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO has made Narvik and the High North even more important for our security," says Jens Stoltenberg, former NATO Secretary General and current Norwegian Minister of Finance.
Finland Strengthens Cybersecurity in the North With Extensive Exercising Finland is enhancing cybersecurity competence in its northern region. Municipalities and critical infrastructure operators recently participated in a cyber exercise under state auspices. "We gained experience in dealing with many kinds of threats," says Rovaniemi’s Chief Information Officer.
Norway, Finland, and Sweden: Discussing New Cooperation Structure in the High North Tromsø (High North News): State secretaries of Norway, Finland, and Sweden have been mandated to start designing a new framework for northern Nordic cooperation. "We have a shared interest in finding a joint answer to this," says the Norwegian Foreign Minister.
Total Preparedness: When Regional Policy Overrules Security Policy in the North Comment: Expensive and inadequate.That is how the Norwegian Minister of Health, Jan Christian Vestre, described his meeting with the Eastern Finnmark infrastructure the other day. Yet, that is only one of the challenges not addressed in the total preparedness white paper recently presented by his own government.
