Washington Mobilizes Its Allies in the Arctic Region

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with his counterparts from Arctic states and territories, as part of a U.S. move to strengthen security and investment cooperation in the region, ahead of the signing of a security agreement concerning Greenland.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement about the meeting, “Allies agreed that Arctic security requires sustained investment to protect this vital region and deter strategic competitors.”

Participants also discussed the development of icebreaker capabilities and cooperation in the fields of security and investment, as the region’s importance grows with melting ice and the opening of new sea routes that provide access to vast natural resources.

The meeting brought together foreign ministers and representatives from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.

The office of the Danish prime minister announced on Monday evening that Greenland, Denmark, and the United States would sign the agreement concerning the Arctic territory on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.