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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday underscored the strategic importance of the Arctic and the High North, calling the region “crucial” to the Alliance’s security posture.

“This visit for me is very important, because this is, of course, about NATO. It is about Norway, but it’s also about what collectively we are doing to make sure that we keep NATO territory safe,” Rutte said during his first official visit to northern Norway after taking office.

Referring to the Arctic’s evolving security environment, Rutte said: “We know that these sea lanes are opening up, that the Russians and the Chinese are more and more active here. We know that we have an issue when it comes to, for example, ice blade capacity, sort of many issues.”

He stressed the need for NATO to work closely with the seven High North countries, “Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the US," to coordinate efforts in the region.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store welcomed Rutte to the Arctic base with what he described as “a beautiful summer day,” but said the visit carried serious strategic significance.

“It is really a privilege for me to welcome you to North Norway,” Store said.

Store emphasized that Norway plays “a special role for allied security, our own security, but also that of our allies here in the North.”

He listed Norway’s investments in Arctic-specific defense capabilities, including maritime patrol aircraft, F-35 fighter jets, submarines, drones, Coast Guard units, and space-based assets.

“With Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the whole perspective of allied reinforcement in times of crisis gets another depth,” Store added.

Rutte also confirmed that Arctic security and broader defense planning would be part of the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.

“We are also working towards the summit in The Hague, focusing on more spending… not more spending because we want to spend more, but because we have to deliver the capabilities we, collectively as NATO, need to deliver.”

Rutte said this would involve spending “much, much more than the famous 2%,” highlighting that “Russia is actively reconstituting itself. We know that China is building up its armed forces. We have the terrorist threat.”

When asked about the modernization of Russian military bases in the region and rising tensions, Rutte stated: “NATO is increasing focus on the High North through improved situational awareness, reinforcement, improved capabilities, revised command and control arrangements, increased exercises, and training.”