"We must aim to strengthen the position of the Arctic Region further within the EU, and the conference in the European Parliament is a good opportunity to do this," says Helgi Hjörvar before the conference, which will take place 13-15 September.

EU Commissioner Maria Damanaki, Denmark's Foreign Minister, Lene Espersen, who is also chairperson of the Arctic Council, and Diana Wallis, Vice-President of the European Parliament, are among the speakers at the conference, during which the Nordic Council's President will also speak.

“It is important that we intensify constructive co-operation in the Arctic Region. In the Nordic Council we want to nurture and develop our good relations with both our American and Canadian friends in the west, and with our Russian friends in the east, and with the countries in the EU,” says Helgi Hjörvar, who is an Icelandic MP in the Althing.

All the Nordic countries are members of the Arctic Council. In addition, Canada, Russia and the USA are member states, and members of the European Parliament will also take part in the conference. Because of the geographic location of the Nordic countries and the autonomous territories Arctic questions are very key for the Nordic Region.

The 10th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region will take place in Iceland in 2012. This was also where the first conference was held in 1993.

Silje Bergum Kinsten
Phone +45 33 96 02 51
Email siki@norden.org

Torkil Sørensen
Phone +45 33 96 04 46
Email ts@norden.org