Canada launches Arctic foreign policy
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the launch of Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy.
The Arctic Foreign Policy is a diplomatic strategy designed to guide Canada’s engagement in the Arctic. It aims to enhance Canada’s presence and partnerships to address current needs while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to future challenges, according to the foreign minister’s statement.
The policy is built around four key pillars: asserting Canada’s sovereignty, advancing Canada’s interests through pragmatic diplomacy, taking a leadership role in Arctic governance and multilateral challenges, and adopting a more inclusive approach to Arctic diplomacy.
A core priority of the Arctic Foreign Policy is to strengthen cooperation in the North American Arctic. The release emphasized that relationships in this region are unique due to geographical proximity and the ancestral ties among Indigenous Peoples.
The North American Arctic spans the vast northern territories of three countries: Alaska (U.S.) to the west, northern Canada in the center, and Greenland (Kingdom of Denmark) to the east.
The Canadian Arctic covers 40 percent of Canada’s territory and more than 70 percent of its coastline. It is home to many Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the region for millennia.
