Introductory address on transport, logistics, maritime safety and meteorological cooperation in the Arctic

Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson

President of Finland Sauli Niinistö

President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to address this esteemed gathering here in Helsinki. I very much appreciate the valuable opportunity to exchange views on the important Arctic issues identified for this meeting.

I sincerely thank our Finnish friends for the invitation and for their long standing and strong contribution to Arctic cooperation.

In our view, the cooperation within the Arctic, in particular within the Arctic Council, has been a great success. We have seen the original priority aims of the Arctic Council - to protect the environment and ensure sustainable development - develop from ground breaking studies and reports into real action, taking the form of – amongst other things – legally binding agreements.

The Arctic Council has also been an important venue for political dialogue and peaceful cooperation. The Council´s clear mandate, with its regional focus on sustainable development in the Arctic, has allowed it to continue its work, irrespective of global political tensions.

We have seen the Arctic become an object of international attention and we must of course be prepared to recognise the prospect of a globalised Arctic with all of its challenges relating to new logistical hubs, increased land, sea and air traffic - to mention only a few. 

We are all aware that with increased melting of sea-ice and the opening of new transport routes from the Pacific to the North-Atlantic the pressure to utilize the resources within the Arctic grows considerably. With this development, there are bound to be challenges in terms of finding the right balance between use and protection of natural resources.

In order to properly address the issue of transport, logistics, maritime safety and meteorological cooperation, appropriate attention must be given to climate change on the one hand and the marine environment on the other.

In this regard, the Paris agreement is a significant boost for the future of the Arctic and certainly needs to be implemented effectively. 

The growing emphasis on coordinated search and rescue capabilities and preparedness for dealing with pollution incidents is a testimony of the Arctic Council‘s work to meet new challenges and must be further developed.

Meteorology is being discussed within the Arctic Council for the first time and we very much welcome this addition. Better weather forecasts is certainly one example of increased maritime safety in the Arctic. The importance of ensuring close relations between the different international organization dealing with Arctic related matters can not be stressed enough. 

Climatic and developmental pressures on the marine environment from shipping, dumping, offshore oil and gas development and land-based activities will only continue to increase in the Arctic.

However, we must resist pessimistic approaches that too often characterise the debate over global climate change. The Arctic is truly an area of opportunity and innovation and our task is to make use of these opportunities while safeguarding the environment.

In fact, many Arctic communities have demonstrated exceptional resourcefulness in adapting to demanding circumstances and have the potential to continue doing so in a sustainable manner.

We must continue to improve our ability to learn from past experiences and use our resources to design appropriate response strategies and in this way create the best possible framework for environmental protection and business development alike.

A fundamental point in Iceland‘s Arctic policy is to support, and strenghten, the Arctic Council. We want to cooperate with other relevant states, and nations, to strenghten the Council, and give it a more assertive role. In addition, we see value on strengthening the links between the Arctic Council and the Arctic Economic Council.

I congratulate Finland for its leadership in the Arctic Council and thank you for the support you have extended to us in the preparations for our upcoming chairmanship.

With that, I wish all of us a fruitful discussion and I thank you for your attention.