This transcript was automatically generated and may contain errors.

Thank you and thanks also to your voice still holding.

Good afternoon and yeah, the Arctic is part of our neighborhood and what happens there affects directly the whole of Europe,

but the region is changing extremely fast.

Climate change,

geopolitical tensions and strategic competition are reshaping the Arctic dramatically.

Europe must keep pace,

and that is why I'm very glad that today we have adopted Europe's new Arctic strategy for this new Arctic reality.

Over the past months, I have traveled extensively across the Arctic and met political leaders,

businesses, representatives of indigenous communities and young people.

I wanted to listen to their concerns, understand their ambitions and learn. What matters most to them.

Their message was to work together and ensure that the future of the Arctic is shaped by the people who live there.

This is why our response goes beyond security.

We focus on stronger economic ties with the Arctic and placing the people who call it home at the center of our approach.

After all, they are the ones most directly affected by the changes underway.

I would like to start with what we are doing to to help build a prosperous Arctic.

With the changes we are seeing, we must invest in an Arctic that is better connected. More resilient and more prosperous.

This means stronger cooperation across all key sectors transport, digital and space connectivity,

renewable energy, critical raw materials,

sustainable fisheries, tourism, research and innovation.

A key principle of our approach is to invest in dual use and multi-purpose assets.

This will strengthen the resilience of local communities and create new opportunities,

but also reinforce Europe's security and preparedness.

Let me give you three concrete examples of how we will deliver on these ambitions. First, transport connectivity.

We want to bring the European Arctic closer together by strengthening connections between Finland,

Sweden and Norway.

Through initiatives such as Rail Nordica or the Trans European Transport Network,

we will improve transport links and make it easier for people and goods to move across the region. This will also enhance military mobility. Second, digital connectivity.

When distances are vast, reliable digital connections are essential for communities,

for businesses, for education and for access to public services.

With Greenland, we are already investing in subsea cable infrastructure through the Pan Arctic cable vision,

but we want to go further and explore the potential to extend the link towards Asia. Third, research and innovation.

As the Arctic changes, we need a better understanding of what this means for its environment,

its economy and its people.

This is why we will establish the EU Polar Research Hub.

It will bring scientific research,

observation and policy making closer together and turn scientific knowledge into more effective action.

The Arctic is home to communities, cultures and traditions and to people with their own ambitions for the future,

and for our investments to deliver,

we must place the local communities at the center of our action.

Having traveled across the Arctic,

I could not help but admire the resilience with which local communities are meeting these challenges and building their future in demanding conditions.

What sets the EU's partnership apart is our commitment to work with these communities,

listen to their priorities and respect their choices.

This has guided our approach throughout the preparation of the strategy. We have engaged extensively with Arctic partners.

What we heard has helped shape this new strategy.

Let me give you three examples of how we will put this into practice.

First,

we will invest in education and opportunities for young people through educational exchanges and stronger cooperation between institutions.

Part of this will be to expand Erasmus opportunities for people from across the Arctic.

Second, to strengthen democratic resilience, we will further support cooperation. Among local governments across the Arctic.

We will also work with Arctic partners to counter disinformation and foreign interference.

Third To give young people a stronger voice in our partnership,

we will establish a youth sounding board attached to the EU office in Nuuk.

This will create a dedicated platform for young people to share their ideas,

raise their concerns and contribute to shaping our partnership.

It builds on the dialogue we have already established through the Indigenous Peoples' Dialogue,

the Arctic Youth Dialogue and the EU Arctic Forum,

and our wider exchanges with young people across the Arctic.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Arctic is warming nearly, as we already mentioned, 4 times faster than the global average.

This is the defining force behind the changes we are seeing and the challenges that come with them.

We must do more, and every action we take in the Arctic must be taken with the climate in mind.

The best way to face the challenges in the Arctic is to face them together.

That is why Europe's new Arctic strategy is, above all, about partnership.

And a partnership that will help us build a secure Arctic,

a sustainable Arctic and a prosperous Arctic, and an Arctic that works for its people.

So let me now thank all the partners with whom we have worked on this strategy President von der Leyen,

High Representative Vice President Kallas, Commissioner Kadis,

our Arctic Member States and our friends from Greenland, Canada, Norway and Iceland.

Let me also thank my team and our special adviser,

Jyrki Katainen, but adopting this strategy is only the beginning.

My responsibility now is to ensure that these commitments are fully implemented,

so thank you for your attention.