State secretary Varteressian’s remarks on the new High North – Arctic policy

Speech/statement | Date: 01/09/2025 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ByState Secretary Maria Varteressian

The remarks was given for the diplomatic corps in Oslo.

Dear Ambassadors,

Thank you for being here today, for this briefing on Norway's new High North strategy - Norway in the North.

Geography defines who we are. Norway is an Arctic nation. Our history, our identity, our culture, and our security are inseparable from our geography.

The Norwegian part of the Arctic is a highly developed, modern part of our country. We have people - nine percent of the Norwegian population lives in the Arctic - local communities, a significant business environment, major resources and access to energy. Many of you had the chance to visit Northern Norway yourselves in the trip hosted by the Secretary General of the ministry this spring.

Dear all,

We meet at a time when the High North carries greater geopolitical weight than at any point in modern history.

The Arctic is rising on the international agenda. The security in Europe is upended by the brutal war of aggression led by Russia in Ukraine. The effects of the climate crisis are more dramatic than ever, and we feel it in our Arctic areas and communities. The natural environment is changing before our eyes. At the same time, the demand for the natural resources of the north is strong. Our challenge is to safeguard the resilience and sustainability of both the Arctic environment and our communities.

This was the backdrop when the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, several colleagues - and myself - presented our new High North Strategy two days ago. It was launched simultaneously in Kirkenes, Tromsø and Bodø. This is the first time in twenty years that a Labour-led government has presented such a strategy. The reason is clear: the world has changed. Geopolitics has returned. No place is the nexus between foreign and domestic affairs so closely linked than in the High North.

This is the key reason why the High North is the area of the highest strategic importance to the Government. The High North is not only a region - it is the heart of our nation, the front and centre of our national interests.

Security and predictability are important to provide for robust and attractive communities in Northern Norway. At the same time, thriving local communities constitute the foundation of stability and progress.

Norway must respond to all these challenges - with clarity and leadership as an Arctic nation, with responsibility as a NATO ally, and with ambition as a global partner in tackling the climate and nature crisis.

The aim of the new strategy is to ensure that Northern Norway is home to vibrant local communities where people want to live, and that our High North policy strengthens our national security and preparedness.

This strategy is based on Norway's fundamental security interests as defined in our National Security Strategy: a free and independent Norway, a robust democracy, a safe society with high level of trust, an open and adaptable economy, allied solidarity and unity in Europe, and a world that seeks solutions based on international law.

Connected to this, security and preparedness along Norway's border and the external border of both NATO and the Schengen area is a matter of strategic national importance.

This strategy is also underpinned by Norway's climate policy and indigenous policy. Norway has a statutory target of becoming a low-emission society by 2050. However, climate risk and the need for climate change adaptation must be properly taken into account in planning processes. The importance of Sámi culture and ways of living is a valuable part of Norway's historical heritage and must also be recognised.

Coming back to geography, the main focus of the strategy is on Northern Norway - North of 66,33 degrees - surrounding ocean areas and the northern parts of the neighbouring Nordic countries. Svalbard is mentioned where relevant, but the Government's overall Svalbard policy was presented last year in a separate White Paper to the Storting.

Our strategy rests on five priorities:

1. Norwegian sovereignty and influence in the High North
2. A total defence that creates security, activity, and preparedness
3. Good and safe local communities
4. Infrastructure that builds communities
5. Business development that creates value

Let me take you through them.

First: Norwegian sovereignty and influence

The High North is fundamental to Norway's national security. We guard the external border of both NATO and Schengen. Here, freedom of action is not an abstract value - it is a daily responsibility.

We will strengthen our defence, and our cooperation with Nordic allies, the United States, Canada, and key European partners.

Sweden's and Finland's membership in NATO has not only created a new basis for defence cooperation in the North. Being allies has also created a stronger basis for resolving practical challenges and bringing our neighbouring regions closer together. Enhanced defence efforts and cooperation demands focus on regional cohesion in mobility, emergency preparedness, logistics and critical infrastructure. This will also benefit to the civil society and local communities, on which the defence efforts relies on in many aspects.

As mentioned, Norway is Arctic.

We welcome international cooperation in the Arctic, but we will be clear that such cooperation must be in our national interest.

Allied presence in the north must be effective - but also adapted to Norwegian conditions, and anchored in Norwegian situational awareness.

We will defend international law in the Arctic. We will stand up for multilateralism - for the Arctic Council, for NATO, for the rules-based order. This is the foundation of stability. It is a core national interest to Norway.

Second: A total defence

Our goal is to investing greatly in security.

Security in the north cannot be carried by the armed forces alone. It requires the whole of society. Businesses, municipalities, and civil society all play their part.

Our goal is clear: resilient communities. A High North able to handle crises and the unexpected. A total defence that creates both security and activity.

Third: Good and safe local communities

National security begins with people. If the High North is to be secure, it must also be a good place to live.

That is why we invest in communities of the North. In housing, in education, in culture and sports. We want families to thrive, young people to stay, and new talent to come. Safety, services, and opportunities - this is how we build strong and resilient Arctic societies.

Fourth: Infrastructure that builds communities

Roads, ports, energy systems and digital networks are more than tools of transport - they are the backbone of preparedness and resilience

Our investments must do several things at once: connect communities, strengthen settlement, support business, and enhance security.

Fifth: Business development that creates value

Economy is also part of security. Jobs, innovation, and industries give societies resilience and strength. They also give people a reason to stay in the north.

That is why we are investing in research, in competence, and in knowledge about the north. Knowledge is a shield. It gives us foresight, and credibility.

Dear all,

Alongside these priorities, we have launched new initiatives:

• One billion NOK for Polhavet 2050 - a visionary investment in Arctic knowledge and cooperation.
• A new High North Museum in Tromsø - highlighting history, culture, and identity.
• Greater support for sports, culture, and education - because vibrant societies are resilient societies.
• Stronger local preparedness, in line with the Total Preparedness Commission.
• And finally: making sure Norway's unprecedented defence investments - more than 50 billion NOK and over 1,700 new jobs in the north over the next decade - generate real benefits for local communities.

To conclude, this is not only a strategy for ministries and institutions. It is a strategy for people - for the fisherman in Finnmark, for the student in Tromsø, for the family building their future in Bodø.

It is also a strategy for our allies and partners - for NATO, for Europe, for the international community. Because the High North is not only Norway's neighbourhood - it is a region of global significance.

Our message is simple: Norway will be present. Norway will be prepared. Norway will be a reliable partner in the North.

Thank you.