Newsletter Security, Mining, and Tax Flights
"With the Nordic region as a joint operational area, the need to plan and conduct larger allied land and joint operations will increase", says the Norwegian Army Chief Lars Lervik. (Photo: Hilde Bye)
Dear reader. Large parts of the Arctic possess critical raw materials, but mining in Northern Norway is everything but easy. The Nordic region is gathering its military powers, but we are losing rich people and inhabitants left and right. Our belligerent neighbor in the east is working hard to evade the West's economic sanctions. Here are the latest news from the North.
We are nearing the end of August, and exercises and further cooperation regarding the High North's security are well underway.
Recently, the four Nordic Army Chiefs and the Commander of the US Army V Corps gathered to discuss the defense of the Cap of the North. Our journalist, Hilde-Gunn Bye, was there and received an update on what is next.
On Monday, the US-led defense exercise Northern Viking kicked off in and around Iceland.
Population
This week's comment from Arne O. Holm is about tax flights and population figures. About 200 Norwegians have fled taxes in the past few years and moved to Switzerland, Holm writes.
“That corresponds to the decline in population in Finnmark, Northern Norway, in the last quarter. The latter is more serious than the first," believes HNN's accurate commentator.
Industry
Mining in the North is a disputed topic.
While people argue over mining in Northern Norway, more and more products with metals from China and Congo are purchased. The debate concept Lytring addresses the difficult conversation in a live debate on Wednesday, with Editor Holm at the wheel. (Norwegian only)
Russia
At the same time, our freelancer keeps observing that multiple LNG carriers of Russia’s emerging dark fleet continue operating in Northern Norway, spoofing their AIS transponder signal to “disappear” and load sanctioned liquefied natural gas.
Feel free to participate in the debate on our social media, and if you have something to share, please send it to hinn@nord.no.
Best regards, Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen