Arctic countries on Thursday pledged to fight global warming, which is happening three times faster in the Far North, and to preserve peace in the region as its geopolitical importance rises.

Accelerated global warming, untapped resources, new maritime routes opened up by retreating sea ice, and the future of local populations all topped the agenda as foreign ministers of countries bordering the Arctic gathered in Reykjavik in Iceland.

"We are committed to advancing a peaceful Arctic region where cooperation prevails on climate, the environment, science and safety," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Arctic Council counterparts from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/world-is-on-fire-australian-school-children-skip-school-to-protest-against-climate-change-386485" hreflang="en">'World is on fire': Australian school children skip school to protest against climate change</a>

"The Arctic as a region for strategic competition has seized the world's attention" but "rule of law" must be ensured so that it remains "a region free of conflict where countries act responsibly," he added.

The statements were thinly-veiled warnings to China, which although only an observer on the Council has made no secret of its interest in the vast territory rich in natural resources and where retreating sea ice has opened up new maritime routes.

Blinken was also certainly targeting Russia, after tense exchanges that preceded Thursday's meeting about the risk of a "militarisation" of the Arctic.

Military manoeuvres

Russia has steadily beefed up its military presence in the Arctic in recent years, reopening and modernising several bases and airfields abandoned since the end of the Soviet era.

But Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister for Russia -- which succeeded Iceland as rotating chair of the Arctic Council on Thursday -- also accused NATO of using a "play on words" to justify setting up a military presence on Russia's doorstep.

In order to circumvent an agreement between Russia and NATO, deployments in Norway were called a "rotational presence instead of permanent presence," Lavrov said.&nbsp;

"Today, we have highlighted at the meeting that we see no grounds for conflict here. Even more so for any development of military programs of some blocks here," Lavrov told reporters.

The Russian envoy also said his country supported the idea of hosting a summit of Arctic nations during its two-year presidency of the Council.

Lavrov has also called for a resumption of regular meetings between the chiefs of staff of the Council's member countries.

Russia has been excluded from these meetings since 2014, after the annexation of Crimea.

The Arctic Council was set up 25 years ago to deal with issues like the environment and areas of international cooperation, and its mandate explicitly excludes military security.

With the departure of Donald Trump, who sparked agitation by proposing to buy Greenland in 2019 and repeated opposition to Russian and Chinese ambitions in the region, eyes have been on the line adopted by President Joe Biden's administration.

Blinken, who on Wednesday met with Lavrov in their first face-to-face meeting which was described as "constructive" by both countries, ostensibly emphasised "cooperation" rather than tensions.

On Thursday, Blinken also ended his four day tour, which started in Denmark, by visiting Greenland directly, where he told reporters that the US wished to make their partnership with Greenland "even stronger" and that he could "confirm" the US was no longer attempting to buy Greenland.&nbsp;

Climate change

The US top diplomat also focused on the fight against global warming, much in line with his counterparts who have rejoiced in recent days at the "return" of America to the international community consensus on the climate issue.

"The climate crisis is our most serious long term threat with the Arctic warming three times faster than anywhere else on the planet," Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told the Council.

The alarming data was part of a report published Thursday by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), which also warned of an increased risk of the region's sea ice disappearing completely in summer, before reforming in winter.

"We have a duty to strengthen our cooperation for the benefit of the people inhabiting the Arctic," Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said.

At the previous Council meeting in 2019 in Finland, the Trump administration blocked the signing of a joint declaration for the first time since the Council's creation 25 years ago, as it refused to include climate change in the final statement.

The adoption of a joint statement on Thursday went without a hitch, as did the agreement of a 10-year strategic plan for the first time in the Council's history.

In addition to the countries bordering the Arctic, the Council also includes six organisations representing the indigenous peoples of the region and 13 observer countries.

Arctic countries on Thursday pledged to fight global warming, which is happening three times faster in the Far North, and to preserve peace in the region as its geopolitical importance rises.

Arctic countries on Thursday pledged to fight global warming, which is happening three times faster in the Far North, and to preserve peace in the region as its geopolitical importance rises. Accelerated global warming, untapped resources, new maritime routes opened up by retreating sea ice, and the future of local populations all topped the agenda as foreign ministers of countries bordering the Arctic gathered in Reykjavik in Iceland. "We are committed to advancing a peaceful Arctic region where cooperation prevails on climate, the environment, science and safety," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Arctic Council counterparts from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden. Have a look | 'World is on fire': Australian school children skip school to protest against climate change "The Arctic as a region for strategic competition has seized the world's attention" but "rule of law" must be ensured so that it remains "a region free of conflict where countries act responsibly," he added. The statements were thinly-veiled warnings to China, which although only an observer on the Council has made no secret of its interest in the vast territory rich in natural resources and where retreating sea ice has opened up new maritime routes. Blinken was also certainly targeting Russia, after tense exchanges that preceded Thursday's meeting about the risk of a "militarisation" of the Arctic. Military manoeuvres Russia has steadily beefed up its military presence in the Arctic in recent years, reopening and modernising several bases and airfields abandoned since the end of the Soviet era. But Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister for Russia -- which succeeded Iceland as rotating chair of the Arctic Council on Thursday -- also accused NATO of using a "play on words" to justify setting up a military presence on Russia's doorstep. In order to circumvent an agreement between Russia and NATO, deployments in Norway were called a "rotational presence instead of permanent presence," Lavrov said. "Today, we have highlighted at the meeting that we see no grounds for conflict here. Even more so for any development of military programs of some blocks here," Lavrov told reporters. The Russian envoy also said his country supported the idea of hosting a summit of Arctic nations during its two-year presidency of the Council. Lavrov has also called for a resumption of regular meetings between the chiefs of staff of the Council's member countries. Russia has been excluded from these meetings since 2014, after the annexation of Crimea. The Arctic Council was set up 25 years ago to deal with issues like the environment and areas of international cooperation, and its mandate explicitly excludes military security. With the departure of Donald Trump, who sparked agitation by proposing to buy Greenland in 2019 and repeated opposition to Russian and Chinese ambitions in the region, eyes have been on the line adopted by President Joe Biden's administration. Blinken, who on Wednesday met with Lavrov in their first face-to-face meeting which was described as "constructive" by both countries, ostensibly emphasised "cooperation" rather than tensions. On Thursday, Blinken also ended his four day tour, which started in Denmark, by visiting Greenland directly, where he told reporters that the US wished to make their partnership with Greenland "even stronger" and that he could "confirm" the US was no longer attempting to buy Greenland. Climate change The US top diplomat also focused on the fight against global warming, much in line with his counterparts who have rejoiced in recent days at the "return" of America to the international community consensus on the climate issue. "The climate crisis is our most serious long term threat with the Arctic warming three times faster than anywhere else on the planet," Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told the Council. The alarming data was part of a report published Thursday by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), which also warned of an increased risk of the region's sea ice disappearing completely in summer, before reforming in winter. "We have a duty to strengthen our cooperation for the benefit of the people inhabiting the Arctic," Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said. At the previous Council meeting in 2019 in Finland, the Trump administration blocked the signing of a joint declaration for the first time since the Council's creation 25 years ago, as it refused to include climate change in the final statement. The adoption of a joint statement on Thursday went without a hitch, as did the agreement of a 10-year strategic plan for the first time in the Council's history. In addition to the countries bordering the Arctic, the Council also includes six organisations representing the indigenous peoples of the region and 13 observer countries.

Arctic nations pledge to fight global warming despite rising tensions

Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other nations which border the Arctic meet in Finland on Monday to discuss policies governing the polar region, as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth.

Countries have been scrambling to claim territory or, like China, boost their presence in the region as thawing ice raises the possibility of exploiting much of the world's remaining undiscovered reserves of oil and gas, plus huge deposits of minerals such as zinc, iron and rare earth metals.

With time-saving Arctic shipping routes also opening up, the Pentagon warned on May 2 of the risk of Chinese submarines in the Arctic.

That followed a sharp statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - who will give a speech at the Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland on May 6 - rejecting a role for China in shaping Arctic policy.

"The US has realized that they cannot leave the Russians and Chinese to carve up the Arctic as they see fit," said Niklas Granholm, deputy director of studies at Sweden's Defence Research Agency.

The Arctic Council is made up of the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, with the region's indigenous populations also represented.

China has had observer status at the Council since 2013 and has been increasingly active in the region, outlining a plan for a "Polar Silk Road" last year.

Russia has reopened military bases closed after the Cold War and is modernizing its powerful Northern Fleet. In response, the US has reconstituted its Second Fleet, whose area of responsibility will include the North Pole.

The Arctic Council's remit excludes military matters, but participants have already clashed, with the Washington Post reporting that the US had refused to sign off on a final declaration, disagreeing with the wording on climate change.&nbsp;

Melting the ice

"There are different tones with which different countries want to approach climate change," Finland's Arctic Ambassador Aleksi Harkonen said.

"It's not about whether climate change can be mentioned or not. It will be there, in the final declaration."

Surface air temperatures in the Arctic are warming at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, and the ocean could be ice-free during the summer months within 25 years, according to some researchers.

That could have a profound effect on the world's weather as well as on wildlife and indigenous populations in the polar region.

President Donald Trump has frequently expressed scepticism about whether global warming is a result of human activity and has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.

That agreement aimed to limit a rise in average global temperatures to "well below" 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times by 2100.

Another flashpoint in Finland could be the meeting between Pompeo and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will discuss the political crisis in Venezuela.

Russia has accused the United States of trying to engineer a coup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, one of its closest allies in Latin America.

US national security adviser John Bolton told Russia to stop interfering in what he called America's "hemisphere".

India, South Korea, Singapore, Italy and Japan have observer status at the Arctic Council in addition to China.

Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other nations which border the Arctic meet in Finland on Monday to discuss policies governing the polar region, as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth.

Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other nations which border the Arctic meet in Finland on Monday to discuss policies governing the polar region, as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth. Countries have been scrambling to claim territory or, like China, boost their presence in the region as thawing ice raises the possibility of exploiting much of the world's remaining undiscovered reserves of oil and gas, plus huge deposits of minerals such as zinc, iron and rare earth metals. With time-saving Arctic shipping routes also opening up, the Pentagon warned on May 2 of the risk of Chinese submarines in the Arctic. That followed a sharp statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - who will give a speech at the Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland on May 6 - rejecting a role for China in shaping Arctic policy. "The US has realized that they cannot leave the Russians and Chinese to carve up the Arctic as they see fit," said Niklas Granholm, deputy director of studies at Sweden's Defence Research Agency. The Arctic Council is made up of the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, with the region's indigenous populations also represented. China has had observer status at the Council since 2013 and has been increasingly active in the region, outlining a plan for a "Polar Silk Road" last year. Russia has reopened military bases closed after the Cold War and is modernizing its powerful Northern Fleet. In response, the US has reconstituted its Second Fleet, whose area of responsibility will include the North Pole. The Arctic Council's remit excludes military matters, but participants have already clashed, with the Washington Post reporting that the US had refused to sign off on a final declaration, disagreeing with the wording on climate change. Melting the ice "There are different tones with which different countries want to approach climate change," Finland's Arctic Ambassador Aleksi Harkonen said. "It's not about whether climate change can be mentioned or not. It will be there, in the final declaration." Surface air temperatures in the Arctic are warming at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, and the ocean could be ice-free during the summer months within 25 years, according to some researchers. That could have a profound effect on the world's weather as well as on wildlife and indigenous populations in the polar region. President Donald Trump has frequently expressed scepticism about whether global warming is a result of human activity and has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. That agreement aimed to limit a rise in average global temperatures to "well below" 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times by 2100. Another flashpoint in Finland could be the meeting between Pompeo and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will discuss the political crisis in Venezuela. Russia has accused the United States of trying to engineer a coup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, one of its closest allies in Latin America. US national security adviser John Bolton told Russia to stop interfering in what he called America's "hemisphere". India, South Korea, Singapore, Italy and Japan have observer status at the Arctic Council in addition to China.

Arctic nations to meet amid tensions over environment, resources

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Arctic nations pledge to fight global warming despite rising tensions

Arctic nations to meet amid tensions over environment, resources