Norway’s High North Policy and New Asian Stakeholders

This article examines the main drivers of Norway’s High North policy towards the new Asian stakeholders. The High North became a foreign policy priority for Norway in 2005, and Norway is building on the foundations of this policy by engaging new Asian stakeholders in Arctic affairs. An aspiration to impact Asian states’ views on Arctic developments early in their policy-making processes, including on the legal and institutional framework for the Arctic through diplomatic dialogue, is one factor explaining Norway’s engagement policy. Another important factor is shared interests in economic cooperation and research. Engaging Asia in Arctic affairs gives Norway an additional platform in its dialogue with Asian countries.