BRUSSELS, October 20. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) has unveiled a new EU Strategy for the Arctic, which primarily focuses on military development for the first time in more than 30 years. The document was presented to the European Parliament in Strasbourg by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
"The EU will work with Member States, Arctic partners and in complementarity with NATO, to improve preparedness, protect critical infrastructure and strengthen Europe's ability to operate in Arctic conditions, including by expanding European icebreaker capacity," the strategy reads.
The EU will promote "Arctic-ready, dual-use and multi-purpose capabilities that benefit local communities, the Arctic and the EU," according to the document. It will also focus on long-term situational preparedness and responsiveness by ensuring supply chain resilience, protecting northern maritime borders, and safeguarding critical subsea infrastructure.
"To advance shared situational awareness and vigilance, a new Maritime Security Hub will support Member States and partners in sharing information and improving monitoring of maritime activities in the Arctic. As a first step, the EU will support the establishment of an Arctic Cable Hub to monitor, protect and help repair submarine cables in the North Atlantic and Arctic," the European Commission said. The EU will also support secure, resilient submarine cable connectivity through the Pan-Arctic Cable, linking Greenland directly to Europe.
The previous Arctic strategy of the European Union focused primarily on environmental issues, same as documents on this subject that preceded it, was passed in 2021.