Interested observers
But as we mentioned, Norway organizes bilateral meetings, notably with the observers of the Arctic Council.
This spring, China, one of the observer states, announced that it would support Norway in its efforts to restart the engine of the Arctic Council.
What role, if any, did observer states, and China in particular, play in this summer’s processes?
– The 38 observers, including 13 States, follow with interest the efforts aimed at advancing this cooperation. They mainly participate in board activities at working group level and will be involved in project work again in the future. We try to give them regular information because we recognize their important role in practical work over the years. However, the council’s formal decision-making processes, such as agreeing on new guidelines, are reserved for the Arctic “nuclear family”, says Høglund.
The Arctic Council received a request for observer status from the EU in 2013, but it has still not been granted due to opposition from Russia. Is it relevant to examine this question now, with Russia further on the sidelines?
– Not in the short term. The EU is included in all relevant contexts, and this has also been the case under the Russian presidency. In more detail, we inform and communicate with the EU as we do with other observers. So, for all practical purposes, the EU is an observer on an equal footing with the others. So there remains only a formality, but now is not the time to talk about it.
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