With the Arctic warming four times faster than the world’s average, the melting sea ice leading to new shipping lanes, has a direct impact on Arctic security and economic resilience.
European leaders are gathering in Rovaniemi, Finland, on Monday to plan a path forward for the bloc’s presence in the Arctic.
The talks will focus on emerging shipping lanes, raw mineral deposits and security threats from the US, China, and Russia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the prime ministers of Estonia and Latvia, the presidents of Lithuania and Romania, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Council President Antonio Costa are all scheduled to attend Monday’s “European Arctic Summit.”
“The idea is essentially to strengthen the EU’s common strategic approach to the Arctic in this situation, where the geopolitical and economic significance of the region is growing considerably,” according to Tuomas Tikkanen — Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s senior adviser on European affairs.