ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The Arctic Encounter Summit kicked off in Anchorage Wednesday at the Dena’ina Center with participants from at least 27 countries, a record according to organizers. Billed as the largest Arctic policy and business event in North America, founder Rachel Kallander said the nonprofit; non-governmental organization is entering its 11th year.
“Arctic Encounter was founded with the idea that the U.S. is an Arctic nation and we are only an Arctic nation because of the state of Alaska,” Kallander said. “So, we should be bringing players and leaders and experts together from all over the country and all over the world here to Alaska to address the biggest challenges and also try to develop solutions.”
The event is marked by seminars, discussions and break-out sessions. Kallander said the summit is an efficient way for leaders and stakeholders to meet with each other in one location to share information and ideas.
“We cover everything from Arctic infrastructure to geopolitics to national to international security,” Kallander said. “We have Noble Peace Prize winners, ambassadors from all the Arctic states and some from non-Arctic states. We really run the gamut in terms of what we try to address in a very intensive three days.”
Kallander said Arctic security is one of the hot topics at this year’s summit, including conversations between the U.S. and Greenland with President Trump’s stated desire to purchase or even annex the island for its strategic location.
Greenlandic lawmaker Aki-Matilda Hoegh-Dam is participating in the summit which has several sessions devoted to Greenland. Hoegh-Dam is an elected member of the Greenlandic Parliament as well as the Danish Parliament. Hoegh-Dam said the attention on Greenland lately is also an opportunity for residents there to assert their desire to become a sovereign nation and break away from Denmark, which considers it an autonomous territory.
“Of course we don’t want to have Greenland purchased,” Hoegh-Dam said. “We do want our political sovereignty which we have implied enough times and emphasized, and I do believe that wish is heard now more than ever because of the interest from the United States as well. As we say, Greenland is not for sale, but we are open to business, we are open to collaborate, we are open to discuss.”
Arctic Encounter continues through Friday. Governor Mike Dunleavy is scheduled to address the group on Thursday and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski is scheduled to do the same on Friday.
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