A HIGH-LEVEL conference on Scotland’s place in the “New North” will be held in Edinburgh in November.
The former President of Iceland, Olafur Ragnar Grímsson, will speak at the forum, which will also feature a contribution by Nicola Sturgeon. The First Minister will also attend the Arctic Circle’s October Assembly in Iceland.
Between 300-500 delegates from Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and the Faroes are expected to come to the Edinburgh event, along with delegates from non-Arctic states with an interest in oil, mineral deposits, shipping, environmental protection, stemming depopulation in remote areas, improving connectivity and supporting fragile human ecologies.
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Called Scotland And The New North, it will be held from November 19-21 in cooperation with the Scottish Government.
A delegation from the Finnish Government led by Minister of Foreign Trade Kai Mykkanen will be among the international representatives.
The National columnist and Nordic Horizons director Lesley Riddoch said she hopes there will be some tickets for members of the public in Scotland and live-streaming and/or recording of the proceedings. Registration is expected to open next week.
Sturgeon also attended the Arctic Circle Forum in Iceland last year where she said that although Scotland was not geographically part of the Arctic Circle there was much shared heritage, culture, policy approach.
She praised Iceland for “establishing an important new forum for international co-operation”.
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