It won’t be long before the essential raw minerals and commodities of the planet’s Far North such as rare earths, oil and gas get gobbled up by the industrialists.
On Wednesday, the Arctic Council granted China, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea and Singapore new Observer States status. Essentially, the six nations gained rightful entry to listen in on meetings of the council, as well as propose and finance policies.…
“Many of the applicants wrote that they wanted to become observers because they are interested in arctic science,” Swedish Arctic Council Chairman Gustaf Lind said.
Observers are expected to recognise the sovereignty of countries in the Arctic as well as respect the indigenous people’s values and culture.
The council is composed of eight permanent Arctic nations, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the U.S.
Full article: Rare Earths, Oil, Gas, Other Commodities Up For Grabs As Arctic States Grants China, India, Japan, Other Select Nations ‘Observer Status’ (International Business Times)
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