Ávarp á vefstefnu á vegum RUSI, breska sendiráðsins í Reykjavík og Háskóla Íslands

Arctic and High North Security Dialogue: The Future of Arctic Security

Vefstefna á vegum RUSI,
breska sendiráðsins í Reykjavík og Háskóla Íslands

20. janúar 2022

Opnunarávarp utanríkisráðherra

Distinguished guests, good morning.

I would like to start by telling you how much I value this opportunity to say a few words on Arctic security. My sincere thanks to RUSI, to the British Embassy in Reykjavík and to the University of Iceland, for organising this event.

We welcome this discussion and the increased focus on the Arctic region as the Arctic is a key foreign policy priority for Iceland.

There are a few main reasons why we should be talking more about Arctic security.

From my perspective as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I would like to emphasise three:

First, the developments in the Arctic region have ramifications on both sides of the Atlantic. Transatlantic security is the backbone of European security and the security environment in the Arctic has clearly changed in recent years.

Second, the higher the Arctic is on our radar, the more we deepen our understanding and strengthen our situational awareness, and the more likely it is that our nations can influence developments there. With the opening of Arctic shipping routes and increased access to natural resources, our interests are broader than ever, environmental, scientific, economic and social.

Which brings me to the third reason we should be talking more about Arctic security – the geopolitical implications. The increased Russian military activities and capabilities in the region give good reason to keep the matters of the Arctic high on our list of priorities and maintain full attention on their developments. The level of Russian military buildup reflects the increased strategic importance of the Arctic in Russian military planning. 

We must also be mindful of the security implications and possible dual use of the activities of third actors in the Arctic, and of strategic and tactical investments in the area.

Dear guests,

Looking ahead, it will be important to maintain the balance between cooperation, such as in the Arctic Council, and the security considerations. Iceland, like all Arctic states, wants to keep the Arctic an area of peaceful cooperation, governed by international law, and respect for the sovereignty of the Arctic states. Given the growing geostrategic importance of the area, it will be important to improve our situational awareness and stay clear-eyed on any developments that may affect our shared security.

Here, regional cooperation will play an increasingly important role. The focus of JEF on sub threshold activities is relevant and will add value to our shared situational awareness.

NATO’s Area of Responsibility extends to the High North and the Alliance therefore maintains robust focus on the region. Other regional fora such as NORDEFCO and the Northern Group have intensified their cooperation.

Our Allies and partners have considerably increased their military budgets, reviewed their Arctic policy documents, and adapted their posture and activities in the northern regions.

Increased activities at the Keflavik Air Base are a clear example of the level of attention that Iceland, our Allies and partners are paying to the North Atlantic and the Arctic Region.

With the recent build up of the Russian military in and around Ukraine it is clear that Europe and North America need to review policies and threat assessments. The risk of military conflict in Europe is real.   

We strongly support ongoing diplomatic efforts with Russia on Ukraine. We are worried about developments and are mindful of the need for solidarity between allies and likeminded countries when it comes to responses to any further transgressions by Russia.

Even though all our attention is now on Russia and Ukraine we must stay vigilant, also in the Arctic. 

We firmly believe that the best way for the Arctic to remain a peaceful, low-tension area, governed by international law, is through multilateral collaboration and dialogue.

And to that effect, we need to maintain constructive regional and international cooperation and be open to dialogue with Russia.

I welcome the challenging questions to our experts today on the future of Arctic security which can help guide the way and focus our approach on this topic.

Thank you.

Ávarpið var flutt á vefstefnu á vegum RUSI, breska sendiráðsins í Reykjavík og Háskóla Íslands 20. janúar 2022.