From Iceland — Iceland Not Invited to Polar Nations Conference

Iceland Not Invited to Polar Nations Conference

Published February 17, 2010

Iceland has not been invited to appear at an upcoming polar nations conference, to be held in Quebec, Canada next month. Minister of Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson told reporters he was not pleased with the decision.
The conference will see representatives from Norway, Russia, the US, and Denmark (due to Greenland). The purpose of the conference will be to discuss the use of natural resources in the region.
“I just think it’s the wrong way to go,” the minister told Vísir. “Canada should rather try to get a consensus from all the nations of the polar region,” including Iceland, Finnland and Sweden.
Members of the Inuit community have also expressed displeasure at not being invited to the conference.

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