Norway’s Arctic Policy

Edited by Andreas Østhagen, Research Director, Arctic and Ocean Politics, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway

‘This compilation of perspectives on Norway’s High North policy provides excellent insight into its development and evolution, tracing the impact of changing foreign policy dynamics over several decades. The various descriptions of specific challenges, from Svalbard to China, from fisheries to NATO relationships, all shed light on the progression of the domestic and foreign policies grouped under Norway’s High North agendas. Given the upcoming transition of the Arctic Policy Chairmanship from Russia to Norway, this book is particularly timely and helpful to those who seek to understand Norway’s place in the world, as well as in the region.’

• Contents:1 Introduction: Norway’s strategic priority 1Andreas ØsthagenPART I SITUATING NORWAY IN THE NORTH2 Norway in a changing High North 16Ine Eriksen SøreidePART II FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY3 Geopolitics and increased tension? The art ofdifferentiating between political dynamics in the Arctic 23Andreas Østhagen and Svein Vigeland Rottem4 Security policy, Russia, and the High North 38Ingeborg Nortvedt Bjur, Karen-Anna Eggen, andPaal Sigurd Hilde5 Norway’s flawed nordområdene policy 56Torbjørn Pedersen and Odd Gunnar SkagestadPART III ISSUES AND TOPICS IN NORWAY’S HIGH NORTH6 Sea, fish, and resource management in the High North 66Alf Håkon Hoel7 Svalbard and the surrounding seas – new foreignpolicy challenges for Norway? 78Arild Moe and Øystein Jensen8 The ‘new superpower’: what are China’s intentionsin the Arctic? 96Anders Christoffer Edstrøm, Iselin Stensdal, andGørild M. Heggelund9 Norwegian High North narratives and identityconstruction in the North 110Beate Steinveg and Ingrid Agnete Medbyindex