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Mountains near Pond Inlet, Canada
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In light of increased Russian military activities in the region, the US plans to appoint an ambassador to the Arctic.
This is reported, among other things, by the »BBC«.
A State Department spokesman said the special envoy's job is to advance US policy in the area.
The ambassador is to replace the previous Arctic coordinator and deal with issues of national security, environment and development in the far north.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday warned of the threat posed by Russia in the northern polar regions and expressed concern about China's encroachment into the Arctic.
Russia has increased its presence near the North Pole, while China has established Arctic research stations.
»Test area for the most modern weapons«
The new US ambassador will work with, among others, the seven other Arctic nations - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Russia - and with indigenous groups, according to a State Department spokesman.
Peace and stability in the region are of "crucial strategic importance" for the US and are a priority for Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken is due to appoint the ambassador shortly, with Senate approval.
Stoltenberg visited the Canadian Arctic on Friday, where he highlighted the challenges facing the military alliance;
including the reopening of "hundreds of new and former Soviet-era Arctic military installations" and Russia's use of northern climes "as a testing ground for the most advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles."
"Beijing and Moscow have also committed to stepping up their practical operations in the Arctic," Stoltenberg said.
"This is part of the deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests." Climate change is also increasing the importance of the region because the melting ice is making the area more accessible.
Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski welcomed the appointment of an ambassador to the Arctic.
She said the US is the only Arctic nation that does not have its own ambassador-level diplomatic representation for the region.
scr/AP
