Canada Unveils Its Arctic Foreign Policy
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On December 7, in Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly unveiled the initiation of Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy.
This Arctic Foreign Policy serves as a diplomatic framework for Canada’s involvement in the Arctic region, aiming to enhance presence and partnerships to meet current demands while maintaining the ability to adjust to future challenges, as indicated in a recent announcement reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Arctic Foreign Policy is built upon four key pillars: asserting Canada’s sovereignty; promoting Canada’s interests through practical diplomacy; taking a lead in Arctic governance and addressing multilateral challenges; and embracing a more inclusive strategy for Arctic diplomacy, as outlined in the release.
A major focus of the Arctic Foreign Policy is to strengthen collaboration throughout the North American Arctic, highlighting that the connections in this area are distinct due to geographical closeness and the deep-rooted histories among Indigenous Peoples.
The North American Arctic spans the extensive northern territories of three nations: Alaska (USA) to the west, northern Canada in the center, and Greenland (part of the Kingdom of Denmark) to the east.
Covering 40 percent of Canada’s territory and over 70 percent of its coastline, the Canadian Arctic is home to numerous Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples who have lived on this land for countless generations.
