Canada

The Arctic and North Territory: Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, and Northern parts of numerous provinces, including Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Québec

Arctic and Northern Population: Approximately 150,000

The Arctic is fundamental to Canada’s national identity. It is home to many Canadians, including indigenous peoples, across the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and the northern parts of many Canadian provinces. The Arctic also represents a potential for Canada’s future. Exercising sovereignty over Canada’s North, as over the rest of Canada, is Canada’s number one Arctic foreign policy priority. Canada’s Arctic and northern residents, especially Indigenous people, have not had access to the same services, opportunities, and standards of living as those enjoyed by other Canadians.

There are longstanding inequalities in transportation, energy, communications, employment, community infrastructure, health, and education. While almost all past governments have put forward northern strategies, none closed these gaps for the people of the North or created a lasting legacy of sustainable economic development. Currently, Canada’s vision for the Arctic is a stable, rules-based region with clearly defined boundaries, dynamic economic growth and trade, vibrant Northern communities, and healthy and productive ecosystems. The Government of Canada has launched an ambitious Northern Strategy to respond to these opportunities and challenges. The Northern Strategy lays out four areas where Canada is taking action to advance its interests both domestically and internationally and to help unlock the North’s true potential: exercising sovereignty; promoting economic and social development; protecting our environmental heritage, and improving and devolving Northern governance. In pursuing each of these pillars in its Arctic foreign policy, Canada is committed to exercising the full extent of its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the region.

International efforts will focus on the following areas:

• engaging with neighbors to seek to resolve boundary issues;

• securing international recognition for the full extent of Canada’s extended continental shelf;

• addressing Arctic governance and related emerging issues, such as public safety;

• creating the appropriate international conditions for sustainable development;

• seeking trade and investment opportunities that benefit Northerners and all Canadians;

• promoting an ecosystem-based management approach with Arctic neighbours and others;

• contributing to and supporting international efforts to address climate change in the Arctic;

• supporting Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations

Role 1. Minister of Foreign Affairs

Role 2 (if applicable). Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

People‘s Republic of China

Beijing’s interest in the Arctic has increased quickly in the last decade, with the polar regions included in China’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan (FYP) in 2011, the publication of China’s Arctic Policy in 2018, and the incorporation of the Polar Silk Road as part of President Xi Jinping’s signature One Belt, One Road (OBOR) program. China has declared itself a ‘near-Arctic’ state and outlined a ‘Polar Silk Road’(PSR) economic plan. The PSR is one of the most ambitious global infrastructure projects ever conceptualized. Through it, loans from Chinese state banks are funding the building of roads, railways, ports, pipelines, 5G telecommunications systems, and more, all around the world — and now, in the Arctic as well. The Polar Silk Road entails China investing in mining and energy, and setting up research stations and satellite data receiver stations. It is also working with Russia to link the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic Ocean with China’s Maritime Silk Road that starts in Asia and extends to Europe. That route can shave 10 days or more off a journey between China and Europe, compared to going through the Suez Canal.

The People’s Republic of China became an observer nation on the Arctic Council in 2013. Its interest in the Arctic region is clear: access to Arctic natural resources and use of the Northern Route, which work together to enhance its image as a major power. China enjoys the freedom or rights of scientific research, navigation, overflight, fishing, laying of submarine cables and pipelines, and resource exploration and exploitation in the high seas, the Area, and other relevant sea areas, and certain special areas in the Arctic Ocean, as stipulated in treaties such as the UNCLOS and the Spitsbergen Treaty, and general international law.

China’s increasing focus on commercial opportunities in the Arctic has grown in tandem with its efforts to contribute to the shaping of norms and rules in the region through multilateral forums. As indicated in its official Arctic policy, China states that it wants to play, “a constructive part in the making, interpretation, application, and development of international rules regarding the Arctic”. While China has contributed to other multilateral forums, the Arctic Council is the principal outlet for these efforts, where countries’ scientific and academic capacities in the Arctic play an important part. The Chinese government has emphasized the importance of the Arctic region for the country’s “environment, economy, society, and consequently, the trajectory of its sustainable development”, whereas China’s strategists have stressed the possibility for the Arctic region to become both a theatre of militarized competition over the control of the sea routes and resources and a ground for military power projection over three continents.

Five key policy areas are highlighted in People Republic‘s of China Arctic Policy:

1. Firstly, concerning China’s scientific exploration and understanding of the Arctic, China seeks to promote scientific expedition and research in the Arctic.

2. Secondly, concerning the protection of the Arctic’s environment, ecosystem, and climate change, China reiterates its commitment to tackling global environmental challenges.

3. Thirdly, on the utilisation of Arctic’s shipping routes and the exploitation of its natural resources, China advocates for the protection and rational use of the abundant Arctic resources through cooperation.

4. Fourthly, on China’s participation in the Arctic governance, the White Paper emphasises China’s commitment to improve and complement the existing Arctic governance regime. China intends to actively engage at a global and regional level and promotes cooperation in all fields.

5. Lastly, China believes that the promotion of peace and stability in the Arctic is necessary to serve the fundamental interest of all states.

Role 1: Foreign Minister of the People‘s Republic of China

Role 2 (if applicable): Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Kingdom of Denmark

Population: Greenland: 55,992 (January 2019) The Faroe Islands: 52,124 (January 2020) Denmark: 5,822,763 (January 2020)

Arctic Indigenous Peoples: Inuit

The Kingdom of Denmark is centrally located in the Arctic. The three parts of the Realm – Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands – share several values and interests and all have a responsibility in and for the Arctic region. The Arctic makes up an essential part of the common cultural heritage and is home to part of the Kingdom’s population. The Kingdom is a vigorous and important actor in the strategically vital international cooperation on the future of the Arctic and in that connection attaches great importance to creating transparency in and understanding for cooperation.

Denmark has currently one aircraft, four helicopters, and four ships in Greenland, using them for monitoring the Arctic, fisheries control, and search and rescue operations. However, early this year the government allocated an extended budget and enhanced capabilities, potentially using long-range drones and radars. The Kingdom is trying to enhance its defence capabilities, in light of the increase in foreign activities in the Arctic. A cooperative framework between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, which claim to have a special responsibility for defence and security in the Arctic, has been put in place. The framework will significantly strengthen the Danish Defence’s capabilities to track and monitor the steadily increasing activities in the region, through investments in high-tech unmanned systems and capabilities. The efforts take place in dialogue and cooperation with the United States and other Arctic allies, while founded in NATO. Political support from the Faroe Islands and Greenland to the radars and construction work is of key importance.

The highlights and key priorities of Denmark’s strategy are:

1.A peaceful, secure, and safe Arctic- with an emphasis on the UN’s Convention on the Law of the Sea, enhanced maritime safety, and exercising of sovereignty and surveillance;

2.A self-sustaining growth and development

• High standards for the exploitation of mineral resources;
• The exploitation of renewable energy potential;
• Sustainable exploitation of living resources;
• Stronger integration in international trade;
• Knowledge-based growth and development;
• Arctic cooperation and health and social coherence;

3.Development with respect for the Arctic’s vulnerable climate, environment, and nature

• Improve the understanding of the consequences of climate change in the Arctic;
• Protecting the environment and biodiversity;

4.Close cooperation with International Partners:

• Finding global solutions to global challenges;
• Enhanced regional cooperation;
• Bilateral safeguarding of the Kingdom‘s interests

Role 1: Minister for Foreign Affairs

Role 2 (if applicable): Chief Consultant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Finland

Arctic Territory: Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, and Lapland

Arctic Population: 180,000 (Lapland), 5,500,000 (Finland)

Arctic Indigenous Peoples: Saami

Finnish Lapland has been upheld as an example of how ecosystem services can help prevent ecological problems caused by human action, as well as a way to resolve land-use questions in an economically and environmentally sustainable way. Finland has attempted to position itself as a leader in sustainable development in the Arctic region. Moreover, Finland is often rated among the world’s top countries in terms of environmental protection standards.

With over 70% of the country covered, Finland is Europe’s most forested country. Of these forests, about 17,000 km2 of it are strictly protected. Finland’s forest resources are increasing as the natural growth of forests more than compensates for the amounts of timber logged. Finland’s contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions are small in global terms, but very high when measured per capita. Renewable energy sources account for about a quarter of all the energy used in Finland. A large part of this renewable energy is produced from residuals generated in the pulp and paper industry, including bio-sludge and wood chips. Almost half of the wood used in Finland is burnt to produce energy.

The Regional Council of Lapland has developed a climate change strategy for 2030. The strategy lists goals for Lapland to better mitigate climate change in the region. Lapland’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2009 were about 2.8 million tons, which is more than the Finnish average in proportion to population density. The province of Lapland sees climate change as bringing both economic opportunities for development, but also as a threat to traditional livelihoods.

Finland’s 2021 Arctic policy strategy sets out Finland’s key objectives in the Arctic region. All activities in the Arctic region must be based on ecological carrying capacity, climate protection, principles of sustainable development, and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. The objectives arising from Finland’s economic interests can also be examined from this perspective. The strategy extends to the year 2030. Finland stresses the need to strengthen Arctic cooperation

The priorities of the new strategy are as follows:

1. Climate change mitigation and adaptation
2. Inhabitants (promotion of well-being and the rights of the Saami as an indigenous people)
3. Arctic expertise (livelihoods and leading-edge research)
4. Infrastructure and logistics

Role 1: Minister for Foreign Affairs

Role 2 (if applicable): Secretary to the Minister

Iceland

Arctic Territory: All of Iceland

Arctic Population: 365,000

Despite only having a population of slightly more than 337,000, in 2017 more than two million people visited the Iceland. While bringing a significant boom to the Icelandic economy after the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis, this tourism has brought environmental concerns with it. The government of Iceland, the tourism industry, and a growing body of academic researchers have dedicated much time, thought, and energy to ensure that nature conservation efforts are not jeopardized by such a large increase in annual visitors. Building tourist infrastructure in an already saturated housing market, developing wilderness areas as tourist resorts, damaging moss-covered geographies, and the breaking of recent volcanic features are just a few examples of how tourism is changing the Icelandic landscapes and having an impact on its environment.

Increased energy production from hydroelectric and geothermal sources has also put pressure on Iceland’s natural landscape, demanding more dams to be built across streams, rivers, and estuaries, and wilderness areas to be reclaimed for geothermal plants. The health of the ocean is of great importance to Iceland as an island nation. Therefore, Iceland imbues great importance in maintaining a healthy ocean environment and ensuring sustainable utilization of the ocean as one of the core sectors of Iceland’s economy. Iceland’s policies for ocean management and conservation are based on the UN Law of the Sea, which the country ratified in 1985; the concept of sustainable development, and the view that responsibility for the conservation and utilization of marine ecosystems is best placed in the hands of those states directly affected by the decisions taken and with the greatest interests at stake. Perhaps the largest environmental marine issue for Iceland is the sustainable harvesting of fish and other living marine resources. The alleged overfishing of mackerel in large part led to Iceland withdrawing its European Union application.

The theme of the Arctic Council Chairmanship program for 2019-2021 reflects Iceland’s commitment to the principle of sustainable development and refers to the necessity of close cooperation between the States and peoples of the region and beyond. With sustainable development as an overarching theme, Iceland had four priorities:

1. The Arctic Marine Environment,
2. Climate and Green Energy Solutions,
3. People and Communities of the Arctic, and
4. Stronger Arctic Council.

Iceland is committed to continuing promoting the same priorities.

Role 1: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Role 2 (if applicable): Permanent Secretary of State

Norway

Arctic Territory: Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Arctic Maritime Area: 1,500,000 square kilometers

Arctic Population: 490,000

Arctic Indigenous Peoples: Saami

North Norway accounts for 35 % of Norway’s mainland territory, and 9 % of Norway’s population lives north of the Arctic Circle. Responsible economic growth and future-oriented jobs in the north are therefore a matter of national interest. Considering Norway’s geopolitical location, this also has strategic significance beyond its demographics. Further developing North Norway as a strong, dynamic and highly competent region is the best way to safeguard Norwegian interests in the Arctic. Norway supports cooperation with non-Arctic states based on respect for international law and within the framework of existing cooperation structures.

Norway’s Arctic policy focuses on the international picture, relations with neighbouring countries in the Barents region, the northernmost regions of Finland, Norway, and Sweden (known in Nordic countries as the North Calotte), and the development of North Norway. The main features of Norway’s Arctic policy in the years ahead are:

• Maintaining a consistent and predictable approach: In light of the increasingly complex foreign and security policy situation in the north, Norway needs to maintain a consistent and predictable approach and a strong and credible defence in cooperation with its allies and partners.
• Highlighting the benefits of cooperation: The growing international interest in the Arctic has led to a greater tendency to focus predominantly on the various competing interests, while cooperation forums that have functioned well for decades are being overlooked or described as outdated.
• Taking a broad-based approach to climate change and the environment in the Arctic: The rapid warming of the Arctic is endangering Arctic species and ecosystems that are dependent on ice and snow and also poses a threat to local communities and the way of life and culture of indigenous peoples. The rising temperature in the Arctic is primarily due to the increase in global greenhouse gas emissions, not to human activity in the region.
• Closer cooperation between the business community and the higher education sector to create attractive jobs in the north: In this context, it is important to expand cooperation with the other Nordic countries, which rank high internationally in research and innovation-based business development.
• Preserving the identity and culture of national indigenous communities: Indigenous issues are a priority in Norway’s Arctic policy.

Role 1: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Role 2 (if applicable): State Secretary

Sweden

Arctic Territory: Västerbotten County and Norrbotten County

Area: approx. 153 400 km²

Arctic Population: approx. 520 000

Arctic Indigenous Peoples: Saami

Sweden is an Arctic country. Sweden, therefore, has a particular interest in and responsibility for promoting peaceful, stable, and sustainable development and contributing to constructive international cooperation in the Arctic. As one of the eight Arctic countries, Sweden is a member of the Arctic Council. The Arctic is facing both new opportunities and severe challenges. This applies especially to the dramatic climate and environmental changes. Global warming has hit the Arctic particularly hard, reducing the extent of ice and permafrost cover and affecting biodiversity and the living conditions of the region’s population. The indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable. Climate change has also played a part in increasing the economic importance of the Arctic. The smaller ice cover creates new conditions for the use of natural resources and sea transport, for instance. The region’s geostrategic importance has increased for both Arctic and non-Arctic states. Increased military presence and activity in the region have security policy consequences.

In Sweden’s Strategy for the Arctic, there are six primordial thematic areas:

1. International collaboration;

• The Government intends to contribute to the Arctic states continuing to jointly maintain well-functioning international cooperation in the Arctic;
• The Government intends to work to strengthen Nordic cooperation on issues concerning the Arctic where the interests of the Nordic countries coincide;

2. Security and stability;

• Sweden will work for continued access to relevant cooperation formats and processes in which regional security issues are discussed.
• Sweden will continue to closely follow the development of the security situation in the Arctic, including detecting and countering attempts to exert influence in and destabilising the region.

3. Climate and the environment;

• The Government intends to work for the strengthening of environmental and climate work in the Arctic Council and for the Arctic Council to be given a more prominent role in global efforts to reduce global emissions of both long-lived and short-lived greenhouse gases.
• The Government will work for the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity and the provision of adequate protection for areas of high natural and cultural values in Arctic environments.

4. Polar research and environmental monitoring;

• Sweden will support and further develop international cooperation on polar research, including climate research.
• Sweden intends to encourage exchanges of knowledge between researchers and indigenous peoples in the Arctic and to work to make traditional knowledge and scientific research mutually available.

5. Sustainable economic development and business interests;

• The Government will contribute to sustainable trade and investments in the Arctic region, and work to ensure that the increase in economic activity in the Arctic benefits local economic growth.
• Based on the 2030 Agenda and the EU’s Green Deal, Sweden will force the pace of international cooperation to protect the unique environment in the Arctic and minimise the negative effects of and risks associated with the use of natural resources in the region.
• Sweden intends to promote long-term sustainable transport systems in the Arctic, in close cooperation with its Nordic neighbours and Russia.
• Sweden intends to work to cooperate with other countries in the region and between various actors to develop sustainable and attractive tourist destinations that take into account the Arctic’s sensitive environment and the needs and situation of its indigenous peoples.

6. Securing good living conditions.

• The Government will contribute smart solutions and the development of robust infrastructure, including digital infrastructure, to create attractive communities in the Arctic region.

Role 1: Minister for Foreign Affairs

Role 2 (if applicable): State Secretary for Foreign Affairs

United States of America

Arctic Territory: All United States territory north and west of the boundary formed by the Porcupine, Yukon, and Kuskokwim Rivers; all contiguous seas, including the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort, Bering and Chukchi Seas; and the Aleutian chain.

Arctic Population: Approximately 50,000

Arctic Indigenous Peoples: Aleut, Alutiiq, Yup’ik, Iñupiaq (Northwest Alaskan Inuit), Athabaskan, Tlingit, and Haida

The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic state and has substantial political, economic, energy, environmental, and other interests in the region.

The USA has developed the “Regaining Arctic Dominance” strategy, outlining how it will pursue the Defence Department’s goal of defending US interests in that increasingly accessible region. The U.S. feels left behind, with its competitors already making strong moves in the region: ‘The Army plans to use its forces in the region “to project power from, within, and into the Arctic to conduct and sustain extended operations in competition, crisis, and conflict from a position of advantage,” according to the strategy. The U.S. wants to establish a Multidomain Task Force (MDTF) unit in Alaska, including a division headquarters with “specially trained and equipped combat brigades to recapture cold-weather dominance.”

As the environment changes in the Arctic, new routes for transportation have opened up and new resources are being discovered.As long-time Arctic occupants increase their activity there, and newcomers begin staking claims as well, the Department of the Air Force has developed, as part of its Arctic strategy, four strategic priorities to guide its involvement in ensuring the United States is equally and fairly represented in the region.

• the department is increasing vigilance for both deterrence and defence in all domains.
• a focus on projecting power through a combat-credible force.
• the Department of the Air Force will continue to focus on cooperation with existing allies and partners and on building new partnerships — a goal aligned with the National Defence Strategy.

Role 1: U.S Secretary of State

Role 2 (if applicable): Deputy Secretary of State of the United States

European Union Taskforce

Three of the eight Arctic states—Denmark, Finland, and Sweden—are members of the European Union (EU), and two other Arctic states—Iceland and Norway—have close ties to the EU as members of the European Economic Area. The EU is showing an increased interest in the Arctic, and the European Parliament (EP) supports an active EU role in the Arctic. The EU is considered an “observer in principle” to the Arctic Council. The EU’s current Arctic policy, set out in a Joint Communication from 2016, is based on three pillars: fighting climate change and protecting the environment, promoting sustainable development, and strengthening international cooperation.

In July 2020, the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) launched a public consultation to update its policy. The consultation process involved a wide range of Arctic stakeholders, public and private alike, governmental and non-governmental, regional and local. The overwhelming majority of responses to the consultation confirmed the continued relevance of the current Arctic priorities. What is clear from the consultation is that the EU has an important role to play in making the Arctic safe, stable, sustainable, and prosperous, including through enhanced international cooperation. According to feedback provided by contributors in this public consultation, the EU should take a long-term view and discourage environmentally unsustainable practices that undermine Arctic ecosystems, inhabitants and species. Furthermore, contributors assessed a need for the EU to make a stronger link between its climate policy, the European Green Deal, and the updated EU Arctic policy in order to achieve sustainable development of the Arctic and to maintain science and research at the heart of EU policies and actions in the Arctic. With all of this as background, the European Commission and the EEAS will aim to re-examine the role of the EU in Arctic affairs and to update the 2016 Joint Communication on an integrated European Union policy for the Arctic by the end of 2021.

The EU, and particularly the Taskforce commissioned to overseeing the Arctic affairs have 4 key priorities:

1. Climate Change and the Arctic Environment: Understanding the science of climate change, helping to develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and safeguarding the Arctic environment are part of the EU’s wider efforts in relation to the Arctic.

2. International Cooperation on Arctic Matters: The EU engages in multilateral, regional, and sub-regional cooperation on Arctic matters. Many Arctic matters relate to the Arctic as well as to lower latitudes.

3. Sustainable Development in the Arctic: A safe, stable, sustainable, and prosperous Arctic is important not just for the region itself, but for the EU and the rest of the world. The EU is committed to contributing to sustainable development in a balanced and integrated manner.

4. Arctic Funding: The EU offers a wide range of funding opportunities in the Arctic regions for businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, local and regional authorities, young people, and Indigenous peoples’ groups.

Role 1: President of the EU Taskforce

Role 2 (if applicable): Deputy President of the EU Taskforce

Aleut International Association

Territory: Alaska (United States), Russian Federation, Pribilof Islands (United States), and Commander Islands (Russian Federation)

Indigenous Peoples: Russian and American Aleut (Unangan)

Indigenous Population: Approximately 15,000 Aleuts in the United States and 350 Aleuts in the Russian Federation

Languages: English, Russian, Unangam Tunuu (Eastern Dialect of the Aleut Language), Niigugim Tunuu (Atkan Dialect of the Aleut Language)

The Aleut International Association (AIA) is a not-for-profit corporation that represents the Indigenous peoples of Aleut descent in the United States and the Russian Federation. It was created by the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA) and the Association of the Indigenous peoples of the North of the Aleut District of the Kamchatka Region of the Russian Federation (ANSARKO). AIA is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of four Alaskan and four Russian Aleuts under the leadership of a president.

AIA was formed to address environmental and cultural concerns of the extended Aleut family whose wellbeing has been connected to the rich resources of the Bering Sea for millennia. Its mission is to promote continuity of culture and protect the resources needed to sustain it. The need to understand global processes, such as transboundary contaminants transport, the impacts of climate change, and the effects of commercial fisheries on the ecosystem of the Bering Sea, to name a few, was an impetus in joining in the work of international fora where AIA is actively pursuing collaboration with governments, scientists and other organizations to improve the wellbeing of the Aleut peoples and their environment.

Role: President of the Aleut International Association (AIA)

Lobby actors

Lobby actors are different interest groups. They militate for their agenda and have the special power of mobilising international support for their cause, which allows them to overturn two resolutions, through their ‘VETO power’.

COSCO Specialized Carriers Company, a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Group, the world’s third-largest shipping company, began sending ships along Russia’s Northern Sea Route in 2013. The Yong Sheng became the first Chinese vessel to transit along the route. In the following years, the company increased its activity, conducting two transits in 2015, six in 2016, five in 2017, and eight in 2018. This indicates a growing interest in the Arctic region as a potential new shipping route for trade between China and Europe. COSCO Shipping Group’s interest in the Arctic region has been growing steadily in recent years, as it seeks to take advantage of the potential benefits of the Northern Sea Route as a new trade route between China and Europe. The company has made significant investments in expanding its fleet, and its subsidiary, COSCO Specialized Carriers Company, has been at the forefront of its Arctic operations. In addition to its shipping activities, COSCO has also been involved in the development of Arctic infrastructure, such as ports and shipping facilities, which are necessary for the growth of Arctic trade. However, the company has faced some challenges in the region, such as navigating the harsh Arctic conditions and ensuring the safety of its vessels, crew, and cargo.

Greenpeace: the international environmental organization, has also taken a keen interest in the Arctic region, particularly in its campaign called “Save the Arctic.” The campaign advocates for creating a global sanctuary in the Arctic and pushing for bans on offshore oil drilling and industrial fishing in the region. Greenpeace has been actively campaigning for Arctic conservation since 2012 and has even gone so far as to place its own ships in the region to monitor and protest against industrial activity. The organization operates in over 55 countries and does not accept funding from governments, corporations, or political parties, ensuring that it remains independent in its advocacy efforts. The Arctic region has become a key area of focus for environmental organizations like Greenpeace due to its unique ecosystem and its importance in regulating global climate. As climate change continues to have significant impacts on the Arctic, advocacy groups like Greenpeace will likely continue to push for conservation efforts in the region.

ARAMCO: : Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) is a government-owned organization that specializes in energy and chemical operations, including crude oil and natural gas exploration, production, and processing, as well as refining, natural gas fractionation, petrochemical production, and the distribution of petroleum products and natural gas. Saudi Arabia has announced plans to invest $5 billion in Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, which aims to become a liquefied natural gas producing powerhouse through its Arctic energy resources. The $21 billion initiative is being developed by Novatek, Russia’s gas giant, and is expected to begin exporting LNG to markets in Asia and Europe by 2023 via Russia’s Northern Sea Route. The investment from Saudi Arabia comes as the company seeks to diversify its energy portfolio and secure a larger share of the global LNG market.