Foreign Minister Antony Blinken announced on Thursday that the US wants to send a diplomat to Tromsø. – The US is setting up an office in Tromsø. It will be the northernmost US diplomatic office and the only one north of the Arctic Circle, Blinken said. Mayor of Tromsø, Gunnar Wilhelmsen, welcomes the Americans back to Tromsø, he writes in a press release. – The establishment of an American representation in Tromsø reflects that we are back to a time of increased geopolitical tension in the north. Given this reality, it is reassuring for all of us who live in the north that our most important ally is taking the situation seriously and establishing an office in the Arctic capital, says Gunnar Wilhelmsen, mayor of Tromsø. Wilhelmsen believes in closer cooperation when these two offices are in place. – The USA’s interests in the northern regions are completely in line with those of Norway and other European countries, including the EU. It is about working together for security and sustainable development in the Arctic, combating climate change and promoting peace and stability in the North, he says. – The US is not only our most important ally in NATO, but it is also an Arctic state that wants to get involved in the development of the Arctic region for the good of the approximately 4 million people who live here, says Wilhelmsen. The mayor says that we are witnessing increased international tension. – For the Arctic countries, it is about maintaining the most constructive cooperation between friends within the framework of the Arctic Council, where Norway has just taken over the leadership. At the same time, we must recognize that the security policy situation affects this cooperation negatively.
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The USA establishes an office in Tromsø – news Troms and Finnmark
