Moving forwards in the High North

Today, the Government presented the latest version of its High North strategy. It has a strong focus on business development, both on land and at sea, and announces increased investments in communications, shipping routes and harbours in the north. The Government will also continue to focus strongly on knowledge and the environment, and will continue to build up the knowledge communities in Tromsø, creating a leading international centre of research on climate change and the environment in the High North, and increased monitoring of activities in the Barents Sea.

Today, the Government presented its plans for activities relating to the High North for the next 10–15 years.

”In our policy platform, we set out that the High North is Norway’s most important strategic priority area. In December 2006, we presented our High North strategy, which included 22 measures that have already been implemented or are in the process of being implemented. It is now time to take our High North activities further. We have outlined a stronger focus on business development. The next 10 years will see a considerably higher level of investment to upgrade the transport network and harbours in the north,” said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

”It is true that the challenges in the north are extensive, and we are now beginning to get through our backlog of tasks waiting to be addressed. We are putting a major effort into developing roads. I would also like to underline the positive impact this will have on regional policy issues in general,” commented Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete.

The Government will continue its work on the development of an integrated monitoring and notification system for the northern sea areas. The Government will also take initiatives to further develop the knowledge communities in Tromsø, creating a leading international centre of research on climate change and the environment.

”It is of vital importance for me that the environment is at the core of our High North efforts, and the focus on increasing knowledge in this region is fully in line with our priorities,” said Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen.

The Government has started preparing the ground for making a decision on the commissioning of a new ice-class research vessel. The Government aims to acquire a new vessel of this kind, provided that our quality requirements are met, during the next few years. This vessel would operate from Tromsø.

”This next step in our High North strategy sets out important new measures in the areas of infrastructure and maritime safety along the coast. It also focuses on the development of forward-looking maritime industries. This is a happy day for the people living in the north, indeed for the whole of Norway,” said Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Helga Pedersen.

The Government will make cod farming a priority area at national level. The Government will also establish a national initiative on marine bioprospecting to further develop one of our most important industries and utilise our marine resources in a new way.

“Our High North policy will concentrate efforts on large-scale projects in strategic priority areas, where Norway has particular advantages – in terms of history, geography and expertise. We will seek to establish forward-looking activities in the north and to strengthen the international position of the region and the country as a whole,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre.