Norway

Through a commitment to increased Nordic security cooperation as outlined in the Stoltenberg Report, Norway has made it clear that it does not intend to take its role as an Arctic nation lightly - a wise policy stance given Norway’s proximity to Russia. In the future, Norway will be charged with protecting its own sovereignty from Russian infringement, particularly in the Svalbard Archipelago, where Russia maintains that it has fishing rights in Norwegian waters. Norway needs to continue to focus on regional policy and security cooperation while ensuring that increased offshore and onshore oil and gas operations do not result in environmental disasters. It must also effectively police its fisheries and because Northern Sea Route shipping will often pass through Norwegian waters should investigate expansion of its icebreaking capabilities (currently, Norway has two ice-class vessels), perhaps in conjunction with Russia. As a nation where oil and natural gas extraction occur in the same region fishermen depend on for their livelihood, strong policymaking and enforcement can help Norway emerge as a model of environmental stewardship.