US reopens diplomatic mission in Arctic since Cold War era

US Coast Guard vessel moves in Arctic sea ice

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the decision to open a diplomatic mission in Tromsoe (northern Norway) from June, in a move to demonstrate "a diplomatic footprint in the Arctic Circle ", according to Reuters.

Mr. Blinken called the agency a "station of presence," and did not provide consular services there.

Reuters quoted researcher Andreas Oesthagen as saying that this is an important move, showing that the US views the importance of the Arctic differently than it did five or 10 years ago.

Tromsoe is Norway's largest city in the Arctic, about 400 km west of Russia. Norway and Russia share a border in the Arctic.

During the Cold War, Washington maintained a diplomatic mission in Tromsø, but closed it in 1994.

Tromsoe is also home to the Arctic Council, an organization that brings together eight Arctic nations, including Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark.

Cooperation between the Arctic Council, specifically between Moscow and Western countries, has been stalled after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine since February 2022.

Some council cooperation has recently resumed, but remains limited to the level of senior diplomats and there has been no exchange between political leaders so far.

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