Several Meetings Between Greenland, Denmark and the US This Week This week, the Danish foreign minister and his Greenlandic counterpart will meet with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as well as the US Vice President in Washington, D.C. In addition, several American senators are traveling to Copenhagen to meet members of the Danish parliament.
“The Arctic Council is Irreplaceable” Reykjavik (High North News): “Projects are being discussed, new activities are being initiated. The Arctic Council is still alive and very much kicking,” says Kenneth Høegh, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials of the Arctic Council.
Convened Participants from 27 Countries in Alaska: "We Feel the Intensity of the Changes" "Building and strengthening global partnerships is more important than ever. And we know that doing that in-person meetings, whether here in Alaska, in Norway, or elsewhere, is imperative," says Rachel Kallander, CEO of Arctic Encounter Summit.
Greenlandic Top Diplomat in the US: "Everybody Knows about Greenland Now" Anchorage (High North News): "It's not a secret that this has been a special period – a challenging period – and something that we have not experienced before. One of my roles is to give all necessary information to relevant stakeholders in the US," says the Head of Greenland's Representation to the US to HNN.
Putin Appoints Nikolai Korchunov New Ambassador to Norway The top Russian diplomat, Nikolai Korchunov, comes from the position of Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs.
Norway's Arctic Council Chairship Praised by Iceland Bodø (High North News): “It was up to Norway to take on the huge challenge and responsibility of chairing the Arctic Council after Russia,” Iceland's Arctic ambassador, Pétur Ásgeirsson, said, praising Norway's navigation through the muddy waters of Russia's war in Ukraine while chairing the Arctic Council.
US Embassy Reopened Office in Northern Norway After Almost 30 Years On Friday, the US Embassy reopened the Tromsø office after nearly 30 years. The climate crisis is the biggest challenge, says US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Elizabeth M. Allen.
Arctic Council After Russia’s Handover: “We Are Still Here” Reykjavik (High North News): “I am here to tell you that the Arctic Council is not dead,” said the Arctic Council Chair Morten Høglund to a cheering congregation at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik – revealing that the takeover from Russia was not certain until the day before.
Iceland Suspends Embassy Operations in Moscow Iceland will suspend work at its embassy in Moscow as of August 1 and asked Russia to limit its operations in Reykjavik. "All of Reykjavik's anti-Russian actions will inevitably prompt a response," the Russian foreign ministry responded.
Norway MFA: "Russia Has Neither Been Expelled nor Withdrawn From the Arctic Council" Bodø (High North News): As Norway prepares for the takeover of the Arctic Council from Russia in just three weeks, the opportunities and challenges for cooperation within the Council was debated among the Arctic Ambassadors to Norway and the EU.
The EU Strengthens Its Presence in Greenland The EU is establishing an office in Greenland. The union wants to get a better understanding of Greenland and show its presence in the Arctic, explains senior researcher Andreas Raspotnik at FNI.
US Senators: Need for a Comprehensive State Department Arctic Strategy Several U.S. Senators have sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address critical Arctic issues. The Senators hold that the State Department lacks a clearly articulated Arctic strategy.
Longyearbyen Gets Its First Honorary Consul Switzerland has appointed Marcel Schütz to the position of Honorary Consul in Longyearbyen.
Lavrov: We Do Not Have Relations with NATO, but We Have with Norway Bilateral security consultations between Norway and Russia should be elevated to defense minister level, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Monday, he met Norway’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt in Tromsø and invited her to Russia.
Top Lawmakers Want to Establish a US Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs Several Congressmen have recently launched bills to establish a US Arctic Ambassador in a push to bolster US diplomacy in the region.
Ambassadors’ Panel: "It Reminded Me of Hollywood Films with Russian Submarines" "This proves that there is no chance of avoiding discussing security issues in the context of the Arctic" Russian Ambassador to Norway Teimuraz Ramishvili said about the three Russian nuclear submarines that punched through Arctic ice in March.
Russia to Appoint Honorary Consul in Greenland After consulting with Greenland’s self-rule authorities, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved Russia’s creating a position as honorary consul in Nuuk.
USA Steps Up Diplomatic Efforts in the Arctic The U.S. Department of State is developing its own diplomatic plan in the Arctic and the Navy is working on an Arctic strategy, U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region James DeHart says in an interview with High North News.
