Land deals in Svalbad sound an alarm over foreign influences in the Arctic
Large plots of private property in Norway’s Arctic Svalbad Archipelago It may be sold soon At about 300 million euros ($330 million), the deal has raised Oslo’s concerns about national security.
Known as Søre Fagerfjord, the property covers approximately 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) and is the last privately owned land in Svalbad.
While a group of international and Norwegian investors have offered to buy the land, Norwegian officials are worried that they can provide strategic footholds in sensitive Arctic regions.
The land is approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the main town of Longearbean and has been in Norway’s hands for more than a century. It was listed for sale last year, and the government quickly made it clear that sales must be cleared in advance due to security laws.
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On April 10, 2015, a snowy mountain near Kings Bay Research Station in Auresund, New York, on Spitsbergen Island, Norway. (Photo Alliance by Jens Büttner/Getty Images)
One of the sellers called it “a strategic foothold of the highlands.”
Svalbard is becoming more important as melted sea ice opens new transport routes and raises global interest in the region.
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White rainbow in the Arctic Ocean in Svalbad, Norway. (Arterra/Universal Images group via Getty Images)
Buyers explain themselves Environmentalists in NATO countries People who want to protect the land.
“The consortium includes Norway and international investors with a long-term perspective on protecting this territory from environmental changes,” said shareholder and climate activist Birgit Liodden.
She added that about half of the money of the sale will be directed towards the environmental projects in Svalbad. So far, the group has not discussed the sale with the Norwegian government.
In the area surrounding Nordenskjoldland National Park in Svalbarbad, lonely polar bears are exposed to rocks where glaciers stood 10 years ago. (Mark Fitz Simmons, Sony World Photography Award 2023)
Still, Norwegian officials are cautious. In 2024 they blocked something similar Attempts by Chinese investors. Trade Minister Cecily Mirces warned at the time that such actions could harm regional stability and threaten national interests.
Svalbad is in accordance with the 1920 treaty offering over 40 countries, including Russia, China and the United States, offering equal rights to live and do business there.
Russia, which runs the settlement on the island, has accused Norway of violating the treaty by increasing its military presence, Norway denies.
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According to Kyllingstad, the seller’s lawyer said the buyer just wants to protect nature and should not block the sale.