EU leaders call for stronger Arctic role for strengthening security

Leaders of several European Union countries at a summit in Finland highlighted the increasing strategic importance of the Arctic region for the security of Europe as a whole.

The leaders in a joint statement after the two-day European Arctic Summit concluded at Rovaniemi on Monday stressed the need for active work to strengthen the role of the European Union in northern regions, said a government press release.

In their joint statement, the EU leaders highlight the unique characteristics of the Arctic, the status of Indigenous peoples and the need to take into account long-term sustainable development when making investments in the region. The area must be developed together with local residents.

The European Commission is expected to present a proposal for a new EU Arctic Strategy and an action plan for its implementation this autumn.

Hosted by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, summit was attended by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Romanian President Nicușor Dan and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden also signed the joint statement.

President of the European Council António Costa, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela also joined the summit.

The leaders also met for a working dinner on Sunday 13 September with President of the Republic Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre and Prime Minister of Iceland Kristrún Frostadóttir.

Speaking on the occasion Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that Europe should take a comprehensive approach to Arctic security.

“We had a very productive high-level discussion on the Arctic region. The importance of the region goes beyond military security: this is about economic security, critical minerals, energy, infrastructure and logistics, trade routes, security of supply, climate change and sustainable development,” Orpo said.

The EU leaders believe that Russia poses a persistent security threat in the Arctic region. In their statement, they noted that Russia’s intensifying military activity, hybrid actions and strategic investments highlight the need for the EU to enhance its collective preparedness.

He stressed the need for concrete European projects in the north. Areas for development could include satellite launching capabilities, critical infrastructure and military mobility, cross-border transport connections, and the extraction and processing of critical minerals.

“Icebreaking capabilities are also a strategic resource. Europe should look into the possibility of joint ownership of icebreakers. We want to share Finland’s world-class icebreaking expertise with all of Europe,” said the Prime Minister.