Arctic Economics

The Stoltenberg Report

Last June, the Nordic foreign ministers asked Norway's former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Thorvald Stoltenberg, for ideas to encourage closer foreign affairs and security cooperation over the next 10 to 15 years. 

Now we have it:  Nordic Cooperation On Foreign and Security Policy.  Stoltenberg's 13 proposals are his own work, based on conversations with politicians and experts; this is not the result of committee deliberations and there was a very limited staff.  These will be developed further in coming weeks and will be taken up at a meeting of the Nordic foreign ministers in Reykjavik this spring (Stoltenberg Report Presented to Nordic Foreign Ministers).

Not all of the proposals deal with the Arctic, but many do.  In summary:

Hang together or separately

What are the Russians up to in and off of Norway (Norway's Security)...

...where fighter jets scramble on average once a week to intercept Russian warplanes buzzing close to their country. The Kremlin’s aircraft and ships do not quite break international law. But they commit what a senior official terms “breaches of etiquette”. These have included naval manoeuvres in the midst of Norway’s oil and gas platforms in the North Sea, involving aggressive air sorties that grounded all offshore helicopter flights; that was inconvenient, expensive and dangerous. Also troubling was a mock bombing run against Norway’s northern command centre at Bodo, and at least three other, so far unpublicised, incidents.

Whatever it is, it's making people nervous.  Norway, Sweden, and to some extent Finland, are looking at increased security co-operation: North stars.  Introducing the Nordic Atlantic Defense Organization:

Overview of the Northern Economy

Statistics Norway has pulled together a survey of the Arctic economy.  The report was edited by Solveig Glomsrød and Iulie Aslaksen: The Economy of the North. 

This is a systematic survey covering the same issues in a similar way across the various Arctic countries.  The editors have coordinated the efforts of a team with members from almost every Arctic country.

Chapters look at the distinctive elements of the circumpolar economy, the natural resources of the Arctic, the individual regional economies, the interaction between the traditional subsistence economies and modern market economies, and the impact of climate change on economic activity.

Recommended.

Edit Dec 23 2008