US to name ambassador-at-large for the Arctic

WASHINGTON • The United States plans to name an ambassador-at-large for the Arctic, reflecting the region's growing strategic and commercial importance as its shrinking opens up new sea lanes and vast oil and mineral resources.

Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites there, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last Friday, a day after visiting the Arctic, saying Russian capabilities there pose a strategic challenge to the 30-nation alliance.

Russia's Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine has heightened Western concerns about Russian ambitions around the world.

China, which describes itself as a "near Arctic" state, also has ambitions in the region and has said it intended to build a "Polar Silk Road".

China has its eye on mineral resources and new shipping routes as ice caps recede with rising temperatures.

In a statement last Friday, the US State Department said President Joe Biden planned to elevate the area's importance within the US government by nominating an ambassador-at-large for the Arctic region, subject to the Senate's advice and consent. It did not say who would be nominated.

"As one of eight Arctic nations, the United States has long been committed to protecting our national security and economic interests in the region, combating climate change, fostering sustainable development and investment, and promoting cooperation with Arctic states, allies and partners," it said.

The eight Arctic nations are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the US.

REUTERS