KAS Arctic Security Conference

From April 27 to 29, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Nordic Countries Programme had the honour to host the KAS Arctic Security Conference together with the “The Grey Zone” Research Group from the Centre for Geopolitics, Peace and Security at UiT, the Arctic University of Norway. Under the theme “Arctic Security in a Changing World: Partners, Pressures, and New Realities”, experts and researchers from across the Nordic region and Germany came together in Tromsø to discuss in multiple sessions the changing security landscape in Europe's northernmost regions.

Intensifying geopolitical tensions and military activity, rapid environmental change, and growing commercialization have significantly increased the Arctic’s prevalence in matters of international security. Consequentially, Northern Europe, Canada, and the NATO alliance are all simultaneously revamping their Arctic policies. While all seem to agree that such a revamp is crucial for national and transnational security, differences persist among the individual countries.

Against this backdrop, the conference participants examined, in closed-door sessions and in a public panel discussion, current developments concerning security cooperation in the High North, China’s expanding presence and interests in the region as well as the risks posed by a military-first security approach to local communities. The discussions highlighted the lasting impact of the current US administration on security relations in the Arctic, the potential challenges for smaller Arctic states to assert their interests between the involved great powers, as well as the need to define a clearer role for the European Union in the region. Moreover, it was emphasised that the role of local communities in improving operational efficiency and readying the region against a broad range of threats and challenges needs to be recognized.

The conference provided a valuable platform for exchanging perspectives on Arctic security from different academic viewpoints, highlighting the topic’s cross-cutting nature and the value of continued debate on it.

We want to express our sincere gratitude to all our expert participants and our partners at “The Grey Zone” Research Group for sharing their knowledge and unique insights during the conference.