Around the polar world

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced on November 26 that it had formally terminated the agreement with Norway, Finland and Sweden on joint reponse to emergency situations in the north.

By registering under the Bermudian flag, the MS Spitsbergen is legally considered an international vessel. This means that it can operate in Norway without having to make several foreign port calls, while still being allowed to employ an international crew, giving the ship’s operator greater flexibility.

The Norwegian government is currently evaluating whether the helicopter search-and-rescue base in Tromsø should continue to be operated by a civilian provider from 2028 onward, or whether it should instead be taken over by the armed forces. The base currently forms ‘Base North’ together with the station on Svalbard.

Significant increase in Norway’s operating grants to Longyearbyen in 2026. The Longyearbyen local administration will receive a substantial increase in operating grants for 2026, with an additional 23.1 million kroner from the Svalbard budget.

Several hundred Ukrainian citizens, maybe as many as 500, have come to Norway at the Storskog checkpoint since Russia launched its war of aggression in February 2022.

Last month, Svalbard recorded an 89% increase in overnight stays by Chinese guests. Visit Svalbard attributes this to growing interest in the Arctic, the general rebound in travel after the pandemic, and the direct flight connections between Beijing and Oslo.