Ambitious goals for the High North

“In the white paper on the High North, the Government sets out ambitious goals for Norway’s efforts in the High North over the next 20–30 years. The main focus of the white paper is on foreign policy, but emphasis is also placed on how the High North policy is to promote employment and value creation across the country as a whole,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The Government is presenting its white paper on the High North, The High North – visions and strategies, today.

“Our aim is to ensure continued peace and stability in the High North. We will promote sustainable management of the resources in the region, and strengthen international cooperation and the international legal order, which are so crucial for all activities in the north,” Foreign Minister Støre said.

“Over the last six years we have shown that we put our words into action, in areas ranging from the maritime delimitation treaty with Russia, to our efforts to promote knowledge, to the priority we have given to fisheries, energy, new industries and active High North diplomacy. Now we are looking to the future and presenting a comprehensive strategy with concrete objectives and specific priorities,” Mr Støre said.

The white paper gives an overview of the analyses underlying Norway’s High North policy, outlines the results achieved so far, and presents a number of priority areas. In the white paper, the Government sets out its intention to acquire a new ice-class research vessel, to build a new border control station at Storskog, to ease visa procedures vis-à-vis Russia, to introduce a maritime surveillance system for the High North (BarentsWatch) and to set up a separate seed money fund based in North Norway. The allocations will be made in the annual national budgets.  

“Far more has happened in the north than we could have anticipated when the Stoltenberg Government identified the High North as its most important foreign policy priority. We have achieved important foreign policy goals through our cooperation with Russia, the clarification of Norway’s maritime borders and the limits of the continental shelf, and the decision to establish the secretariat for the Arctic Council in Tromsø, which will reinforce Arctic cooperation. This has laid the foundation for further developing business activities and enhancing value creation both on shore and off shore,” said Mr Støre.

“We are about to embark on an exciting chapter in the history of North Norway and Norway as a whole, with the Barents Sea as a new energy province in Europe, good prospects for the extraction of minerals in the north, and increased shipping in northern and Arctic waters.

In the white paper, the Government emphasises that Norway’s efforts in the High North are part of a national strategy, involving all ministries and building on broad-based cooperation between the public and private sectors.

“This is a project that will span generations, a national effort that will draw on expertise from all over the country,” Mr Støre said.