Was there anything that had to be removed from the joint statement to gain support from Russia and the US?
“There are always negotiations on the text when one writes a statement. However, for us as the chair, it was important that we were able to acknowledge the importance of some central topics, such as climate and environment, as well as Indigenous peoples. This is included in the statement and that is why I am happy with it,” says Barth Eide to High North News.
“Given where we stand now, this is a good statement, all in all. I am pleased that all eight Arctic states contributed to it,” the minister adds.
In his speech, Barth Eide focused on precisely climate change and Indigenous peoples, which form central common threads between the chairship programs of Norway and the Kingdom of Denmark.
“As we know, climate change occurs faster in the Arctic than any other place on the planet. Three times faster, perhaps four times faster in some areas, than the global average. This matters a lot for Indigenous peoples and everyone who lives here.”
“It is very important that we gather, use, and disseminate scientific research data, but also build on traditional Indigenous knowledge as we see these changes occur. What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. In other words, this is knowledge that is important for the entire world,” he states.