12 European countries call for strengthening the EU's strategic role in the Arctic region

Brussels, September 14 (KUNA) -- Twelve European countries have called on the European Union to strengthen its presence and strategic role in the Arctic region amid growing geopolitical significance. In a joint statement issued following the Arctic Summit held in northern Finland, the 12 countries stated that the European Union is committed to playing “a more strategic and proactive role in the European Arctic.” The statement emphasized the importance of enhancing European cooperation and coordination on Arctic issues in light of the geopolitical shifts occurring in the region and the increasing challenges facing European security.

European Council President António Costa, speaking at a press conference after the summit, affirmed that the security of the Arctic region is an integral part of Europe’s security. In this context, he noted that three EU member states—Denmark, Finland, and Sweden—are Arctic states. Costa added that developments in the Arctic are “not a regional issue but a European one,” stressing the need for the European Union to adapt to what he described as the “new geopolitical reality” regarding Arctic security.

He expressed the EU’s full support for the summit’s ambition to enhance coordinated action and build a network of partners stretching from the Baltic Sea through the Arctic and the North Atlantic, ensuring a comprehensive, rules-based approach to the security and defense of the Arctic region. He clarified that this new geopolitical reality would be reflected in the upcoming long-term European budget through increased investments in Europe’s security and defense, including the Arctic region.

He noted that the European Commission and the European External Action Service are currently updating the EU’s Arctic strategy to ensure its relevance to the new reality amid evolving geo-economic and environmental challenges. (End) A.R.N. / A.M.H.