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Kirkenes, Northern Norway (High North News):
Dear reader. "The High North is Norway's most important strategic
investment area," chanted the authorities. But the people clinging
on to maintain a settlement on the border with Russia's nuclear weapons
do not see any signs of that.
This week, Commentator
Arne O. Holm and I participated in the Kirkenes Conference in the
municipality bordering Russia in the North. Or East, we should say.
Kirkenes is located at 70,3 degrees North and is as far East as
Istanbul or Kairo.
Empty
streets, a fair share of dark shop windows, and politicians practically
begging for help characterize the border city.
Because
High North politics is not like other politics.
"It is meant to work
locally, but to be understood and defended nationally. It is to balance
war rhetoric with a hope of private investors and a viable business
sector. Not least, it is to maintain a settlement on the border with
Russia's nuclear weapons," writes Holm.
The
Norwegian Prime Minister, Fisheries Minister, and the Nordic Chiefs of
Defense participated in the crammed conference, together with
ambassadors and Northern Norwegian politicians.
Whether
it helps the municipality that functions as the Norwegian government's
sovereignty alibi against Russia remains to be seen.
"The crisis is
real," says Finnmark's County Mayor, Hans-Jacob Bønå. (Norwegian only)
"This week, the
chance of meeting a Chief of Defense or a Norwegian Minister was high.
That is, if you were in the North", Holm writes in one of two
comments this week.
On Thursday, NATO
Secretary General Mark Rutte traveled to military bases in Northern
Norway.
High North News was present and will be back with more.
Norway's Prime Minister
also traveled to the Norwegian Arctic to announce Bodø as the location
for NATO's third combined air operations center.
Gas and Svalbard
EU has sanctioned an LNG
vessel working for Russia's Yamal LNG project that stopped in Northern
Norway last week.
New government figures
highlight the Arctic's critical role in Russia's economy.
This year, 100 years have
passed since Svalbard became part of Norway. But the celebrant is still
highly relevant. I was there when the Norwegian government celebrated the day.
DOGE and derailment
Read the interview with
climate researcher Zack Labe, who was one of hundreds of scientists
laid off at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by DOGE
this year.
The
reason behind the extensive Iron Ore Line derailment in Sweden, which
led to a two-month traffic stop, has been found. (Norwegian only)
Read
about this and much more at High North News. Thank you for following us, and
feel free to share the newsletter.
Arctic
greetings from Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen
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