Over the Circle

Published this week by Routledge: China and Nordic Diplomacy, co-edited by Bjørnar Sverdrup-Thygeson, Wrenn Yennie Lindgren and myself. This book examines the distinct relations between China and the five Nordic states, including in the areas of Arctic engagement. Each of the 'Nordic Five' countries has had different historical experiences with China diplomacy. However, under the… Continue reading New Book: China and Nordic Diplomacy →

The next few posts for OtC will be written from Reykjavík, Iceland where the 2017 Arctic Circle conference will be taking place next week. Among the topics prominently featured this year include climate science, energy, infrastructure, networking, scientific cooperation, security, shipping, tourism, trade, and youth issues. Among the keynote speakers for this year's event are… Continue reading Over the (Arctic) Circle →

Iceland will be going back to the polls in three weeks, and after a slow start to the campaign, updated polls, issues and party platforms have begun to make an appearance. A survey [in Icelandic] taken by the news services Fréttablaðið, Stöð 2 and Vísir on 4 October suggested the Left-Greens (VG) remained the most… Continue reading Iceland’s Election: A Week is a Long Time in Politics →

In recent years, the volume level in the longstanding debate about whether the time was ripe for security issues to be added to the growing array of Arctic regional organisations, either connected to or cooperating with the Arctic Council, has increased. One recent article was very critical of the idea of an Arctic security forum,… Continue reading Arctic (In)security and the Question of Cooperation →