Norway’s tightening between Russia and NATO
Last Monday, High North News reporter Hilde Bye was in Tromsø to cover the first foreign ministers meeting between Norway and Russia under the new government led by Jonas Gahr Støre.
Or rather, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt hosted the Barents Council ministerial meeting.
Nonetheless, his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dominated the news, also at High North News. And with good reason, since Russia recently suspended its presence in NATO.
“Norway is a member of NATO. NATO is not Russia’s friend ”was the clear message from the Russian Foreign Minister.. However, it was also clear that the relationship with Norway is lively and dynamic also when it comes to security policy.
Apart from disagreements over security policy and NATO; cooperation with Russia contributes to Norway’s peace project in the High North, said Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt in an interview with High North News.
However; “Russia is a dilemma for NATO», Concludes Jan Gunnar Winther of the Center for Ocean and the Arctic with the former rector of the University of Tromsø Anne Husebekk (in Norwegian only).
It will be interesting and exciting to see how Norway handles the situation from here, wedged between NATO and Russia. The subject also elicited strong reactions from our readers.
Do they know what they want with the Far North?
Now that we are new to the world – often through our editor Arne O. Holm – it is clear that “everyone” wants something with the High North.
“But do they know what they really want? Asks Holm, sitting in a terrace restaurant in the Eternal City, Rome / Italy, after attending another Arctic seminar.
“Is it possible to find a model behind the pompous words embracing people and businesses in the Arctic? I’ve been traveling the north for some time now and I doubt their willpower as much as their abilities, ”our editor concludes in this week’s Friday commentary..
Svalbard for the Norwegians?
For your weekend coffee this week, we’re serving up a little gem from our Svalbard Reporter Line. She deepened the plans of the new government for the unique archipelago where foreigners risk losing their local voting rights, nature protection increases and restrictions are placed on travel safety requirements.
Local actors are inundated with audiences and fear for their future.
A long-standing feature to note.
In Svéa, all traces of human activity are removed from the former mining community of Svalbard (Norwegian only). The story also includes a link to a nice feature of the liquidation process around the abandoned mine.
Plus, you can find big and small news, editorials and other great stuff on News from the Far North.
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Take advantage of the last weekend of October; to see again in November!
Yours,
Trine Jonassen,
Editor-in-Chief, High North News