Newsletter: Massive Investment in the North

Liv og røre i Øst-Finnmark er viktig både for lokale innbyggere og hele landet, påpeker statsminister Jonas Gahr Støre. Sør-Varanger kommune ved grensa til Russland er særlig prioritert i regjeringen og SVs nye pakke for aktivitet og utvikling i regionen. Her er barn og unge med på nyåpning av Paviljongparken i grensebyen Kirkenes sist høst. (Foto: Ole-Tommy Pedersen/Barentssekretariatet)

Dear reader. The Armed Forces and civil society is to be strengthened in Northern Norway. This week, the Norwegian Chief of Defense presented his military advice as the government announced extraordinary economic measures in the region. At the same time, the world's largest warship visited the north. In Russia, intensive work is done to secure the economy despite the sanctions from the West.

This week, both the Norwegian Chief of Defense's military advice and a major investment in Norway's northernmost county were presented. 

The threat from the East is growing and the Norwegian Chief of Defense wants to strengthen the defense in the north and points to Svalbard as a particular military-strategic area of interest to Russia.

The Norwegian government has adopted a package of measures for activity in Norway's northernmost country of NOK 150 million. (Norwegian) 

Major activity 

On Monday, American strategic bombers and the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford's air wing co-trained with Norwegian F-35 fighters in the High North. 

The same day, two escorted Russian strategic bombers flew in international airspace over the western part of the Barents Sea. 

Business in the North 

Norrbotten had the largest share of small businesses with increased turnover in the past year out of all the counties in Sweden. 

ConocoPhillips Alaska has announced that funding has been approved for developing the Nuna project on Alaska's North Slope. 

And in Finland, energy company Gasum has started building a new gas filling station in the Northern Finnish city of Keminmaa. 

Russian industry 

Russia continues to bank on the development of its Northern Sea Route for future economic prosperity and the Northern Sea Route is no exception. 

Novatek and its partners continue to push ahead with Arctic gas projects even in the face of economic sanctions. 

However; EU discussions on the issue of Russian gas began last week as part of a broader gas package. 

Also, do not miss this op-ed on nuclear accidents. 

Read about this and more at High North News. Feel free to share the newsletter with friends and acquaintances. 

I wish you a wonderful weekend on behalf of the editorial staff, 

News Editor, Trine Jonassen

Tags