 Well good afternoon everyone my name is Heather Conley I'm senior vice president here at the Center for Strategic and International Studies with the the wonderful title of Europe Eurasia and the Arctic. I expressly wanted the Arctic in my title because it's one of the most interesting and dynamic areas of research here at the Center. We we are so delighted that you brave the cold when I woke up this morning I looked outside at my the temperature at the thermometer and it said 15 degrees and I thought this is a perfect day to talk about the Arctic so thank you for being with us. We are absolutely delighted to welcome Foreign Minister Borger Brinde to join us today for what I what I'm saying is really our kickoff for the Center's Arctic activities and research as we gear up for the US chairmanship of the Arctic Council and I see before us and we're so delighted to have Admiral Robert Papp US special representative for the Arctic region here and he is looking at his watch going only two more months to the Arctic Council Ministerial where we from our Canadian colleagues take over the chairmanship so I thought minister perfect timing for your visit here. We're very delighted that this conversation that begins our research into the US chairmanship is done in cooperation with the Norwegian Foreign Ministry through a very generous grant. We'll be doing a two-year study on the US chairmanship with our sister think tank Institute the Institute for Defense Studies in Oslo so this really launches us in a new and a very exciting research project. So if we have perfect weather and perfect timing clearly we have the perfect speaker to discuss the balance between Arctic economic opportunities and environmental stewardship. Prior to becoming Norwegian Foreign Minister in October of 2013 Minister Brinde served as Minister of the Environment from 2001 to 2004 and then he served as the Minister of Trade and Industry from 2004 and 2005. His professional experience is achieving this balance between environmental stewardship and trade and investment. So Norway's economy has been very much in the news of late as Arctic economics in general as the news of significantly lower global energy and commodity prices seem to challenge some of the fundamentals of business development in the Arctic. So we look forward to your remarks Minister Brinde and our subsequent discussion on the Arctic. So if this is perfect weather perfect time perfect speaker a perfect moment to welcome Foreign Minister Brinde please join me in welcoming him. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for that kind introduction. I definitely feel like home in this weather. I was also in DC last week with even colder weather that was so cold that it was even a bit cold for Norwegian but it says something about the changing weather patterns. Admiral Papp my friend and also close advisor of another friend Secretary Kerry that cares a lot about the Arctic Council chairmanship of the US. Their friends of the Arctic Excellencies ladies and gentlemen is a good opportunity this afternoon to discuss the challenges and opportunities that we do see in the Arctic and coming out of meetings on different topics this morning I just have to admit that we are living in a rapidly changing world. As the geopolitical map is shifting the international community is increasingly looking to the east and to the south and I would also maybe add the Middle East in that respect. At the same time natural resources new trade routes and increased human activity have provided new opportunities in the north a new focus on the north. This has led to increased international interest in the region. In this rapidly changing world our ability to respond adequately is tested time and again. However what should not change are our common values and principles. I think last year really showed us that these values should also in the continuation be our stable guiding light in this unstable world. They have guided us towards greater progress and justice in our search for security prosperity and development. Let us continue to uphold these values democracy, human rights, the rule of law, trade and cooperation and this also applies for the Arctic. It is crucial that we make sure that they continue to do so these values will be the guiding principles for Arctic cooperation. The overall goal for Norwegian Arctic policy is to ensure that the Arctic remains an area of peace, stability and international cooperation. No gold rush it should be these principles that do guide us. And for Norway the Arctic is of great importance. I don't need to even underline that as many of you know 10% of Norway's population lives north of the Arctic Circle. 80% of our sea areas are located north of the Arctic Circle, 80%. As a nation of seafarers and fishermen, Norwegians have always lived off the sea. Polar exploration is an integral part of our national identity. I'm just coming from Sydney, Australia where our King, His Majesty King Harold had the first state visit to Australia and we have not only explored in the Arctic but also you know Urual Amundsen, the first man to the South Pole in 1911. So Antarctica is also part of the Norwegian identity. 80% of Arctic maritime traffic passes through Norwegian waters. Almost 90% of the Norwegian export revenues come from economic activity and resources in our sea areas. Our long coastline, traditions and innovation go hand in hand. The US is also a leading Arctic nation with vital interests in the region's development, ranging from national security to economic development and environmental protection. The Arctic is not only relevant for Alaska but also for other US states. I'm not stating the obvious to you but it's in my manuscript. Fisheries are important for the state of Washington. There is important maritime activity in Maine and there is crucial Arctic research that are world leading in the state of New Hampshire. Weather patterns, as we are seeing, are originating in the Arctic region affect all states without exception. For Norway, the High North remains a key foreign policy priority of obvious reasons. Peace, stability and international cooperation are needed to ensure value creation and sustainable development in the Arctic. Successful international cooperation depends on a robust and predictable legal and institutional framework. This is clearly in place in the Arctic and is part of the reason why it has not turned into a gold rush. The law of the sea, UNCLOS, provides a legal framework for the sea areas with the firm bases in the UN. Although the US is not a signatory yet, it both respects and upholds the law of the sea. The Arctic Council, which has been strengthened over the last few years, is in this respect also crucial. The Arctic Council is producing groundbreaking reports about the Arctic. Its extensive work on climate change in the Arctic has been extremely important. The Arctic Council's reports have proven beyond doubt that climate change is taking place at a fast rate with serious and far-reaching consequences. New challenges have been met through the conclusion of legally binding agreements between the Arctic states. In these agreements, we have addressed important issues such as search and rescue. This has to be dealt with in a very foresighted way in this very vulnerable environmental area. And marine oil pollution in the Arctic is another challenge that we know too well, also in the US. We welcome the US priorities for the forthcoming chairmanship period, outlined so eloquently by Secretary Kerry at different occasions, but also by Admiral Papp that joined us at the Arctic Frontiers Conference that we had in Oslo in January. I know that we share the same interest and enthusiasm for the Arctic. We adhere to the same values and principles, the US and Norway. I can assure you that we will do our part to make the next chairmanship period a success. The Arctic Council is an excellent example of regional cooperation. The Arctic states have shown that they are able to find new solutions in response to new challenges. This also goes for Norway's neighbor, Russia. We have a long history of constructive neighborly cooperation. Russia's violations of international law in Ukraine have, however, affected our relations. Norway has implemented the same sanctions against Russia as the EU and also the US has done its part. We have also suspended our military cooperation in a number of areas. Nevertheless, it is important for us to continue to cooperate with Russia on important issues such as search and rescue, the management of fish stocks, environmental protection, nuclear safety, maritime safety, and coast guard and border guard activities. We are neighbors and sharing the Boren Sea. So this is quite obvious. It is of great benefit to the Arctic states that non-artic states are also showing increased interest in the region. Norway welcomed the decision to admit new observers to the Arctic Council at 2013 ministerial at which the Arctic family was extended to include Asian countries. The Arctic has become an arena for cooperation between Europe, North America, and Asia. This is a new and very interesting development. It presents us with new opportunities. In order to meet the increased international interest in the Arctic, we need robust regional development in the north based on knowledge and innovation. The Arctic is not the homogeneous region because of the North Atlantic current, temperature and ice conditions in the mostly ice-free Norwegian part of the Arctic are vastly different from other parts of the Arctic. Climatic conditions and amount of human activity vary greatly across the region. Norway is mostly ice-free and this is due to the Atlantic current. At the same time, the Arctic states also share many of the same challenges, even if there are differences. And this reinforces the need for cooperation and knowledge sharing between peoples of the North. The Norwegian Arctic is experiencing a higher level of economic growth than the rest of Norway. That may be come as a surprise, but this region is expecting a 6-7% economic growth in the coming year and Norway on average more like 3%. The Norwegian government aims to promote sustainable business development in the North. The region has always been a stronghold of traditional knowledge gained from indigenous peoples' experience of living close to the nature and all the fishermen and also seafarers that do live in this very active part of our country. What it is different from many other parts of the Arctic is that we have a long history in the Arctic of people living out of the sea and also utilizing the marine resources. This is part of our history, but it is also a very important part of the identity of the people in the northern part of Norway. We want to build on existing experience and expertise when developing scientific institutions and cooperation in North Norway. The number of doctorates completed in the Arctic and focusing on the Arctic has doubled in recent years. We have strengthened our higher education institutions in the North and also the Arctic University of Tromsø has developed in a very productive way. The Arctic Council should also in the years to come cooperate with the business sector. We warmly welcome the establishment of the Arctic Economic Council that sets also some standards for business in the North. In order to secure sustainable economic growth in the North, responsible resource management is key. We must make sure that both new and traditional industries can live side by side. In other words, the fisheries sector and oil and gas activities must be able to coexist. I understand that this discussion is also very relevant for Alaska. Norway takes an ecosystem and science-based approach to resource management in the Arctic. It is interesting to see that this kind of co-abesion, this co- existing businesses of fisheries and oil and gas and other activities in the North have been possible. Back in the 70s it was said that oil and gas activities would be devastating for the marine harvesting and the fisheries sector. We have tried to prove differently by setting the highest standards environmentally for oil and gas activities and I have to admit that I think we have been relatively successful in this respect and you can't fool the numbers. In 2013 the COD quota in the barren sea was at a record high of one million tons with an export value of more than US dollars one billion. From 2013 to 2014 the export value of Norwegian COD and COD species increased by 20%. We've never been in a situation where we could have harvested so much Arctic COD out of the barren sea than we do last year and I think also this year. This was also quite a tough fight for the one of us that already were active in politics in the 80s. There were demonstrations and very very tough arguments from the fishermen in the North saying that the politicians were listening more to the scientists than the real people of the North but we did comply every year with advice from the scientists and today you can find no fishermen in the North in the North saying that this was not the wise decision. As long as you base it on the scientific advice you will also in the future be much better off and sometimes in politics being a politician means that you have to say no because you know that that is the right thing and maybe you will not have see the yield in the first year second year maybe you will see it in a decade or two but that is what leadership is about not buying into all short-term interests. That doesn't only apply for the Arctic. So coming back to the quote of COD wasn't it? Why it has developed so well is due to the sound management of fish stocks in the Barents Sea then turning into oil and gas. It has previously been estimated that about 20% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas resources are to be found in the Arctic. According to the International Energy Agency that you are all well aware of the global demand for energy will increase by 35 to 40% over the next 20 years. As other parts of the Arctic become more accessible we will be able to produce more energy also from the region and how are we going to deal with this. Oil and gas will continue to be significant in the global energy mix and the share of renewable energy is set to increase. We need to move from a fossil-based society into a low-carbon society but as a bridge there I believe that natural gas can play a major role especially in a situation where we see the amount of coal being consumed in the world is increasing and natural gas emitting half of what coal resources do. There have been oil and gas activities in the Norwegian Arctic for decades. The Norwegian oil and gas sector sets the strictest environmental and security standards in the world and it is increasing its activities in the Barents Sea. At the same time the Arctic is severely affected by climate change so there are dilemmas also in politics as we know. In the long term the fate of the Arctic environment and the pace of global climate change depend on our collective efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Over the last hundred years temperatures in the Arctic have been rising twice as fast as the global average. In September 2012 the extent of the Arctic sea rise was at a record low. The Arctic Ocean will probably become virtually ice-free in this century. Over the last two decades the Arctic ice sheets have been losing mass. Almost all glaciers worldwide have continued to shrink according to IPCC's fifth assessment report. We know that what happens in the Arctic will not stay in the Arctic. The global effects of the climate change observed in the Arctic are serious. As the Arctic warms monsoon weather patterns will probably change. The melting of polar ice will cause rising sea levels. Globally an accelerate global warming. The changes taking place in the Arctic are a call for action. They should give momentum to the international negotiations. Ladies and gentlemen I'm proud of the fact that the Arctic states have risen to the new challenges in the region and have increased their cooperation. We have worked together in areas such as resource management, climate change and the environment. We will continue to work together. We look forward to strengthening our cooperation with the US both within the Arctic Council and bilaterally. As we move forward in the Arctic we must be guided by knowledge, responsibility, international cooperation and respect for universal values and principles. Thank you. Mr. Minister thank you very much. That was a great tour de force and that's a lot of cod. That's all I can say. It's a congratulations. And I was sticking to the time. You were perfectly timed. I had to cut off the manuscript. A speechwriter is very sad somewhere. But what I thought we do we have about 35 minutes. We will I thought we'd moderate have a little discussion here for a few minutes. Let our audience begin to gather their questions and then unleash them. I will warn you that CSIS audiences are very good and they ask very tough questions. So I will get you ready for that. You want to expose me for that? I do. I do. You're gonna be working pretty hard the next 35 minutes. I have a couple of questions. The first one and thank you for your comments on Russia. Today Russian Defense Minister Shoigu had the following quote. He said threats to our national security are being formed now in the Arctic. We must develop our military infrastructure to defend our priorities. That's not necessarily that statement conducive with high north low tensions. We've seen an extraordinary amount of new military modernization focusing on Russia's northern fleet. The strategic nuclear deterrent as well as there what they need to do for the Coast Guard and their search and rescue centers along the northern sea route. Are you growing concerned that we're seeing a new situation developing? What should we look out for? It's a very good question. Thanks. As I said there is a new security environment in Europe. Who would have believed a year ago that one European country should just then take a piece of another European country where there had no have been no border disputes. It's not like Russia for two decades have claimed that part of Ukraine was Russian. Quite the country through the Budapest memorandum they just approved of the borders of Ukraine. We cannot be naive about this and that's why also we have all agreed on the sanctions. We need to respond to this blatant breach of international law. Then there is a fact that in the last four years Russia has increased its defense expenditures with more than 60 percent in four years. NATO has in the last five years reduced its budget with 20 percent. That delta is not sustainable and cannot continue. We need to have military that is adequately prepared for a new security situation. That's why we are increasing our budgets. Norway, Turkey and Poland is only three native countries that have not been cutting our defense budget the last five years. We will make major investments and more than 20 percent of our budget to defense is also allocated to investments. We know that the Russians are now allocating I think 60 percent of their I just have to check using the right numbers 60 percent of their budget to investments. It is a striking number. We have also seen that there is a new kind of in this new security landscape we see this notion of hybrid warfare asymmetric warfare. So we have also to prepare ourselves for a different security landscape in the sense that we just have to be aware that it is not necessarily traditional military activity but there can be propaganda there can also be incidents that are being developed. I will not go more into the details here but we can just imagine what we're seeing in Donbass now if that took place another place. How are we ready to cope with that? Have we mentally prepared ourselves for that? In the Baltic Sea we have seen increased military activity from the Russians and this has to be taken seriously. So far in the Boren Sea and in the Arctic we have not seen this increased tension so far. The capability of increasing activities in the north is there hence the increased budget and military capabilities. So we hope that it will not see we will not be witnessing deterioration in the Arctic that's what we also urge the Russians. That's why the collaboration in the Arctic Council also under US leadership note is so crucial. The rare force is saying that oh we should also expel or not have the Russians part of the Arctic Council. My response to that was that would be a very silly idea. Russia is 60 percent of the Arctic. We should engage Russia. We should use that opportunity to be clear about breaking international law and all this but I'm glad that the US is also clear on integrating and having Russia as a part of the Arctic. Sorry for a very long answer but it is one of the crucial questions now moving forward. No I'm so glad thank you. It's a great great and comprehensive response. I'm wondering should we see increased activities security related activities in the Arctic. Admiral Stavides wrote an article in foreign policy the other day suggesting he was suggesting that perhaps an Arctic treaty was required. I think I'd love your thought on that since that issue was put to rest in 2008 the Ulysses declaration but do you see a need for enhanced confidence building measures in the Arctic. He suggests a code of conduct that if we do see I mean quite frankly there are there's some concern about air sovereignty. We just had two Russian fighters near Iceland Norway Norwegian coast has experienced quite a bit of additional air challenges if you will air sovereignty challenges. Do you think we should start thinking about strengthening confidence building in the Arctic. Or complying with the current treaties and natural law would be a good start but when it comes to the law of the sea my experience is that this is also in the interest of Russia to comply with that the law of the sea is instrumental when it comes to the Arctic so continuation in complying with that is crucial and for Norway's part we have a long experience with handling Russia as our neighbor during also the Cold War but we always had the basis in NATO since 1949 and we always done what we think is right for our country and for our sovereignty in close collaboration with our allies and we will continue to do so. So I have to admit that I'm not I'm not very I'm not very concerned about the Arctic and Norwegian sovereignty in the north but I'm not naive about it in the sense that we also need to have a strong military presence and the best investment in security and peace in the future is that we can match what we're seeing from the east and Norway has not a contracting economy of four to five percent. We are fortunately not in a situation where there is zero FTI coming in. We are not fortunately in this situation where all investments and capital flows out of Norway and nothing is being invested in Norway so I'm pretty sure that with our great friends here great friend our closest ally here in in DC with no quite a robust economic development if what is asked for is a military build-up that we have not asked for and we have no we don't want this we don't want this but I can guarantee our Russian friends and I also told my colleague Seger Lavrov if that is the case we will we will match it. Let me turn to another emerging power in the Arctic China and you mentioned in your remarks China is now coming up on two years of being an observer in the Arctic Council just completing its second icebreaker non-nuclear icebreaker its second scientific center in the Arctic after its center in Svalbard in northern Iceland. Beijing-Oslo relations have been very difficult. How is the bilateral relationship and how are you finding China through the Arctic Council mechanisms? I just love your your expand your thoughts a little bit on China's emerging role in the Arctic. So what kind of bilateral relations no it it is a fact that since the noble committee in 2010 decided on Lishabao as a noble laureate the bilateral relations between China and Norway has been in the French or has been very limited. Not from our side we we we want to normalize our relationship and I I'm pretty sure that will also take place in the future but that it will happen but Norway will always in our foreign policy base it on our values and also on Norwegian principles and I'm pretty sure that China is is doing the same. We do have a collaboration with with China when it comes to science also there are a lot of Norwegian investments in China and Chinese investments in Norway but on the political level it has been extremely limited since 2010. We voted in favor supported a Chinese status of being an observatory to the Arctic Council and I think that shows the Norwegian spirit. We have no grudges and I think China will play an important role in the Arctic in the years to come. There are other observers that are knocking on the door in fact at the Arctic Council Ministerial in April. There'll be other members Switzerland, Mongolia, Turkey. What are your thoughts is this Arctic Council table continues to expand? What are your thoughts on that? We did a major enlargement when it comes to observers just recently as you're underlined so let us now reflect on how much the Arctic Council can chew at the same time and see if the time is right now to also admit additional observers. I think we need to have some time discussing this. We should not lose the picture of the most pressing issues or what I outlined in my speech and we just have to find the right policy to this. So the answer to this is that we are we are reflecting on this. Wonderful. One last question and then I'll turn to our audience. I wonder if you believe this statement is true. I am detecting that we are developing an Arctic diplomacy so I'm seeing Arctic states at the International Maritime Organization. I'm hearing about meetings on the margins of the Paris COP 21 that there's a sense of there's an Arctic diplomacy where we need to push in other multilateral fora. Arctic states are taking positions and is this a trend or are we seeing something new here and I welcome your thoughts on watching how Arctic states and those who support the vision interacting in other multilateral organizations to benefit the Arctic. No it's a very good observation and I believe there is a potential both in the run-up to COP 21 in Paris also in IMO for example for when we discussed the polar code for the maritime sector we cannot accept any kind of vessel floating around in the Arctic with devastating results if there is is an accident we can just look to Alaska and see what that can lead to and I hope that what we're seeing of increased tension between the east and the west will not be brought into the Arctic so we can find common ground on issues that brings us together and maybe that can also be then followed up in other international for us and also in the multilateral setting. This will be very interesting to absorb in Iqaluit in a couple of months to see if that spirit of cooperation can be maintained in the Arctic Council and from Norway side that is our clear objective. Wonderful all right I'm sure I've given you a lot of time to think up some good questions what I'd like you to do we're going to bundle some questions minister if that's okay if you could identify yourself your affiliation we like our comments short and our questions crisp so with that I see lots of hands in the center Chloe there we go Chloe we'll start there please and then we'll just pass it across thank you. Thank you minister Brenda my name is Jerry Leep I'm chair of the board of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition which represents all of the global NGOs that work on Antarctic issues but we're also concerned about the Arctic and we wanted to thank you for your comments and your continued and Norway's continued support of science and conservation in the in the Arctic and especially important as the US is looking forward to its chairmanship of the Arctic Council but we also wanted to appreciate your Norway's continued commitment to the Antarctic through the most recent visit of the King to Antarctica which we were quite gratified to see and look forward to the continued support of Norway for the MPA proposals in the Antarctic in the Ross Sea and also the East Antarctic and so um but also your leadership in the krill fishery where where one of your companies has been a real leader in prosecution of it my question here is you've been thinking as we all have a lot about China and Russia and I was wondering if you had any insights as to whether we could anticipate any change in their from their position of opposition to these proposals from last year when the when the Antarctic treaties meet this fall thank you thank you I'll just take that microphone right across the way thank you thank you minister for your comments Jill Blakus I'm with the nature conservancy a large environmental non-profit and I have two questions specific to Norwegians while Norway's great leadership globally in particular on climate change not just in terms of massive funding that we've seen for red the reduced emissions in deforestation and and also of support for the Green Climate Fund and support in leadership most recently is as mentioned in the white paper announcement in early February when Prime Minister Solberg put forth the new emission reductions looking at at least 40 by 2030 which was a more ambitious target than even the extremely ambitious target how does that hit down in the Arctic is the first question the second referring to your comments on exemplary conduct in oil and gas work in in the Arctic in particular I know for a fact that Norway's had a very strong oil for development program and training in Stavanger and other places hosted through NORAD and energy departments so there is cooperation elsewhere could there potentially be cooperation through the Arctic Council for showing best code of conduct to best practice particularly with oil and gas development vis-a-vis fisheries and other resource management thank you. Do you want to take those two? Thank you I'm impressed by all the detailed knowledge about also our positions and policies very impressive on climate change this is one of our five main priorities in our foreign policy and development policy being responsible for the development policy of Norway as the foreign minister we like to focus on all the different mechanisms that you also mentioned stopping deforestation when it comes to rainforests, lowest hanging fruit very cost effective important but also important for biodiversity the climate fund but also being part of the EU bubble but with the aim of reducing with 40% all this also applies for our activities in the Arctic and we will not make compromises when it comes to the highest environmental standards when it comes to the Arctic that also applies for the oil and gas sector this is crucial it is very crucial oil for development as you mentioned is the program that we have developed where we do capacity building in developing countries that are starting to develop oil and gas especially offshore we collaborate with Mozambique Tanzania also with countries like Angola that as is more developed it's not only on environmental standards but it's also related to garments making sure that the governmental rent goes to the people and not to those that are not supposed to have access to these funding. On Antarctica I can also share with you that we will present the first white paper to the parliament in the course of the spring I will present this hopefully in in May June we are supportive of maritime protected areas in Antarctica as you mentioned and we will continue to do so we also very focused on the fact that marine resources in Antarctica needs to be based on scientific advice and scientific recommendations when it comes to krill that is very important that we get more knowledge about the situation on for the krill we don't have as much update on the reason recently on the amount of krill in Antarctica and if we're going to harvest krill that I'm in favor of it has to be done in a way that we know it's sustainable and we are not repeating mistakes in that region from previous times for example when it comes to to to whaling when it comes then to China and Russia and how they will deal with Antarctica in the future we just hope my my hope is that they will be constructive partners in making sure that Antarctica and their areas around will be the best concerned wilderness area in the world onshore if you can talk about onshore it is onshore but you know it's a lot of ice there too fortunately it needs we hope that everyone will comply with the Antarctic treaty peaceful no use and extraction of minerals onshore in Antarctica for the coming decades this is a unique treaty that we would like to preserve but utilizing the marine resources around in a sustainable way certainly one of I think one of the most ambitious elements of the US agenda for the Arctic Council is the creation of marine protected areas and perhaps even going so far as a regional seas agreement for the Arctic we see some parallels obviously with the NPA in the Ross Sea area what do you think that's something that can be achieved in the next two years I mean the groundwork is being laid but what are your thoughts on that ambition of particularly a regional seas agreement I I'm I want to go back to my my speech where I also said that there are the Arctic is not homogeneous if you look to Iceland we have the former prime minister and ambassador here you know that the Icelandic people 250 300 000 oh that's 330 000 rely on the sea and the marine resources as I said in Norway 10 percent of our population is about the Arctic circle and utilizing and living out of the sea is not something that we started with 100 years ago this is the history of Norway you know the the word Norway is the way north that is the meaning of the whole country the name of the country so for us saying that oh we should know establish an area that we will protect protect because is someone waving with a flag in somewhere in France or something that's not our approach our approach is that it should be ecosystem based and you have to look at the different activities and see if it adds up to something that is sustainable we will continue with fisheries we will continue to also have activities in the north we have indigenous peoples that have been relying on reindeer and harvesting for thousands of years so this is part of our history so we can also and we have established areas where we have protected called coral reefs for example as minister of environment I was the first one that ever initiated protection of called coral reefs that was a sound thing to do but seeing an area of vast area close to where people have their living protected and they cannot utilize the resources is not the Norwegian angle the Norwegian angle is sustainable development based on the highest environmental standard so maybe we'll have interesting discussions on this moving forward but I like to be candid about it no I'm so grateful thank you I think we take a few more questions but yes we have one in the back so there's a microphone right behind you thank you yes please hi Sean Carberry Freelance journalist based in DC can you talk about the status of territorial claims in the Arctic and how that process is going what you feel are the the concerns of that process and is the Arctic Council able to play any role in in mediating the territorial claims I'm so glad you asked that that's probably the one question as an analyst I get the most when Canada submits a claim Russia submits a claim Denmark is submitting a claim over the Le Mansov oh my goodness what does this mean so I'm delighted that you're going to answer this question for us you're going to bundle them you said well I wasn't going to bundle but this was so good take it away I'm just kidding no bundling go for it so as I also addressed in my in my speech we have been in the lucky unfortunate situation in the Arctic that also territorial claims will be based on the law of the sea and this should also be the guiding principle moving forward you know that Norway and Russia had quite a vast area where we had a dispute going on for decades the gray zone and we were able to find a solution back in 2010 and this was inspired by also the spirit of the law of the sea so I'm quite optimistic that in the years to come also will find solutions to this different territorial claims based on the principles in the law of the sea I'd like to pull you mentioned the Arctic Economic Council and this is a very new innovation under the Canadian chairmanship it's just getting started but what are your aspirations for the Arctic Economic Council and and how do you think it will relate in a larger measure to the Arctic Council as a foreign minister how would you how will you use the Arctic Economic Council as a tool for your own understanding of Arctic development in a larger way this is also up to the business sector to use this Arctic Economic Council for the purposes they feel is useful and and it is a coordination forum for business development in the Arctic but it potentially also can set some standards that the businesses and the companies can agree on for themselves we have seen in in this business sector that companies and the private sector also on environmental issues but corporate social responsibility has been really pushing the envelope globally sometimes the private sector has been pushing the politicians and not the opposite we know that on climate change we know that from G8 what I feel is the potential of this Arctic Business Council is that you will have increased collaboration between companies that are major operators in the Arctic and it can create new jobs it can also create new bounds and opportunities in this part of the world it's certainly an exciting development we'll look forward to watching that as we go I I have one more question I have to ask but I want to just scan the horizon here to make sure we have any more questions so my my final question before we close out we will do some events and have some conversations as we get closer and closer to a Caliwit to the Arctic Council Ministerial what what what are you hoping comes out of the Caliwit ministerial and if you could project what would you like to see coming out of the U.S. chairmanship as we conclude in 2017 can I defer to Admiral... No you may not we'll have him back he can ask that question I'll ask him the same question You're a great emcee Oh sorry no no no no no no so it's a great question I have high hopes for the U.S. chairmanship I know that Secretary Kerry is really personally involved in this I will see him tomorrow and part of our conversation will be about the U.S. chairmanship I know he cares a lot about climate and the environment he is the ocean guy he is the ocean guy and we have some of the cleanest and most resource we have the cleanest and also oceans with a lot of resources intact in the Arctic and that should also be the aspiration moving forward I know that the U.S. has been focusing a lot of on the challenges of acidification this is something that we are extremely concerned about what are the medium long-term impact for the oceans due to the acidification these are marine the marine resources are vast incredible staggering and we don't know the impacts of climate change on these resources we we know them for polar bears and etc they are devastating but I think we're also seeing great challenges to these rich oceans short lived climate gases is something that I know is on the agenda on the U.S. site that's also has the full priority from my side when we talk about climate change as maybe the most challenging issue of this century we also need to really go for the lovest hanging fruits where we can have impact immediately that's why we've been so engaged in the rainforest as if we can stop the illegal logging and the logging of the rainforest that has a lot to say for in a situation where we have to build this bridge I was talking about from a fossil fuel based society to a low carbon society but that the short lived climate emission climate gases is also part of that that equation then keeping the Arctic as a peaceful place for collaboration will be something very important and I look forward to U.S. diplomacy in making sure that we are not then making the Arctic Council into the same kind of of a place where aggression and differences coming out of other places will will then have a negative influence that will be part of diplomacy I know Admiral Papp went to Moscow did a great job there so these are some of the aspirations and and and some of the challenges in the preparation for for economy that is a great way to to conclude with those those aspirations I think they're important where is the opportunity that we speak with such a senior official where we can go from the Arctic to the Antarctic to Russia to China we have been around the world a couple of times and it's been a very informed and intellectually rich conversation please join me in thanking for Mr. Thank you.