Coast guard agencies form Arctic forum

On Oct. 30 representatives from the coast guards of all eight Arctic nations signed an agreement to form an Arctic Coast Guard Forum, the U.S. Coast Guard has announced. The nations represented consist of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Russian Federation and the United States. The signing ceremony marked the successful conclusion of a summit held at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Oct. 28-30, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The objective of the forum is to leverage collective resources to foster safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic. The forum will next convene for an experts meeting in the spring of 2016.

“The United States is proud to join fellow Arctic nations at this inaugural Arctic Coast Guard Forum,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. “The Arctic is crucial to our shared security, and this declaration underscores our commitment to cooperating with our international partners as we navigate this challenging and changing region.”

“As the ocean becomes more accessible to human activity, all Arctic nations have committed to enhancing maritime cooperation in this remote and challenging environment,” said U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft.

- ALAN BAILEY