Canada plans to open two new consulates in Greenland and Anchorage, Alaska, as part of efforts to reinforce its presence in the Arctic, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to boost Canada's military and security presence in the Arctic, a frozen and mineral-rich expanse that is of increasing interest to U.S. President Donald Trump as well as superpower rivals Russia and China.
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"The region is so, so important now as we see Russian infrastructure moving further and further north and as we see the Northwest Passage becoming easier to traverse because of melting polar ice caps," [Anand] said.
Canada had planned to open a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, in November but had to postpone because of bad weather. Anand said there was no date yet for when a Canadian consulate in Anchorage might open.
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Asked how Canada was responding to Trump's desire to annex Greenland, Anand said she has been pressing her counterparts in the Nordic countries "to ensure there's no mistake about the importance of the Arctic and certainly Canada's sovereignty."
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In a related op-ed, senior research fellow and board member of the NATO Association of Canada Marcus Wong urged Ottawa to "urgently take steps to strengthen its territorial and maritime sovereignty and security in the Arctic."
"Russia is rapidly rebuilding its Arctic defense and security capabilities while seeking to expand its claims over underwater territory, some of which overlaps with Canada’s own claims. At the same time, China has been working hard to lay the foundation for its “Polar Silk Road” and ensure that it can maximize the Arctic’s economic opportunities, going so far as conducting hydrographic charting of the Northwest Passage before Canada," Wong writes.
"Even the U.S., Canada’s closest ally and trading partner, disputes Canada’s jurisdiction over the NWP, and has proposed annexing Canada. Thus, critical concerns are being raised about Canada’s ability to safeguard its national interests and maintain territorial and maritime security."
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