Norway State Secretary Calls for Peaceful Arctic

Norwegian State Secretary Bard Glad Pedersen on Wednesday called for peace and stability in the Arctic region, saying it was in everyone’s interest.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Pedersen made the statement, posted on the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Twitter account, while attending the High North Dialogue conference held March 18-19. The annual event aims to foster dialogue on the Arctic region and increase information sharing between stakeholders in the Arctic.

The opening of the conference coincided with the end of Norwegian military drills in the country's northernmost Finnmark region near the Russian border. The drills are the largest held by the country in a decade and include some 5,000 personnel from all military branches.

The Arctic has vast oil and gas reserves, and has been a focus of attention for the five nations bordering the area – Russia, the United States, Canada, Norway and Denmark.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order to bring his country’s Northern Fleet to full alert in order to assess the fulfillment of its tasks in the Arctic.

In December 2014, Russia unveiled a military doctrine prioritizing the protection of national interests in the Arctic. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was not going to militarize the Arctic, but would take any necessary steps to ensure its defense capabilities in the region.