In a press release from the U.S. Embassy in June Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. Embassy in Oslo plans to open an American Presence Post in Tromsø, Norway later this year. So, the U.S. Embassy opens diplomatic presence in Arctic Norway.
Last Friday, 27th October, the United States opened its northernmost diplomatic station, highlighting the increased importance of the Arctic region for Washington at a time when cooperation among Arctic nations has been hit by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is the U.S. sole such post above the Arctic Circle.
The press release said that “the office in Tromsø will further contribute to the close cooperation between the United States and Norway on our shared stewardship of the vitally important Arctic region. We share the vision that the Arctic continue to be characterized by stability and peaceful cooperation.”
The U.S. Embassy Opens Diplomatic Presence in Arctic Norway, the article continues.
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“Symbolically, it is significant,” Andreas Østhagen, a senior research fellow at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute, told Reuters on Tuesday.
“The Tromsø American Presence Post will strengthen our collaboration with Norway on the climate crisis, people-to-people ties, trade, and security,” Elizabeth Marie Allen, the State Department’s assistant secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs said on X.
As one of eight Arctic nations, the United States has long been committed to protecting its interests and the interests of its Allies and partners in the Arctic, combating climate change, fostering sustainable development and investment, and promoting cooperation among Arctic states.
The office will have one diplomat, whose work will focus on business outreach, science and the Arctic Council, a polar body comprising the eight Arctic states of Russia, the U.S., Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark.
The U.S. Embassy Opens Diplomatic Presence in Arctic Norway, the article continues.
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Tromsø is the largest city in Arctic Norway, located about 400km (250 miles) west of Russia. Norway and Russia share a border in the Arctic. Tromsø is the seat of the Arctic Council secretariat, the international forum made up of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States. The city is also near the Finnish, Swedish and Russian Arctic.
The U.S. Embassy Opens Diplomatic Presence in Arctic Norway, reporting by Tor Kjolberg