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Arctic nations to meet amid tensions over environment, resources
by Reuters
Sunday, 5 May 2019 22:00 GMT
By Simon Johnson
STOCKHOLM, May 6 (Reuters) - Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other nations which border the Arctic meet in Finland on Monday to discuss policies governing the polar region, as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth.
Countries have been scrambling to claim territory or, like China, boost their presence in the region as thawing ice raises the possibility of exploiting much of the world's remaining undiscovered reserves of oil and gas, plus huge deposits of minerals such as zinc, iron and rare earth metals.
With time-saving Arctic shipping routes also opening up, the Pentagon warned on May 2 of the risk of Chinese submarines in the Arctic.
That followed a sharp statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - who will give a speech at the Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland on May 6 - rejecting a role for China in shaping Arctic policy.
More:
http://news.trust.org/item/20190505214500-dxl6w