Finland to host Arctic summit for EU leaders in September
Chinese vessel ‘Panstar Acro’ is scheduled to sail to Europe via the Arctic. (AFP photo)
Finland announced on Aug. 24 that it would host an EU leaders summit on the Arctic, which has been at the center of rising tensions, in the northern city of Rovaniemi in September.
Claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland should become American and China’s move to send a container vessel on a route through the Arctic has put an intense spotlight on the region.
The Sept. 13-14 meeting aims “to strengthen the EU’s common strategic approach to the Arctic region as its geopolitical significance continues to grow rapidly,” according to a statement from Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s office.
