Norwegian security policy and new environmental challenges

Abstract

The evolution of Norwegian security policy is a result of the evolving post-Cold War political order in Europe and the relationship that Norway has vis-a-vis its neighbors. A new set of priorities is emerging. With the end of the Cold War the factors which influenced the security policies of Norway since World War II have changed to include more non-traditional factors. In the past, Norway's security concerns were primarily dictated by the military threat from the Soviet Union. Now, as the twenty-first century approaches, the former Soviet Union does not pose an immediate military threat. However, the Arctic still remains strategically important for Norway and NATO. These new priorities emphasize a foreign and security policy which stabilizes the region through political and economic aspects vice military means. This change however does not delete the traditional emphasis on the military aspects. Environmental degradation is one aspect of the non-traditional influences with which Norway is now concerned. The presence of a decaying Russian (former Soviet Union) nuclear submarine fleet coupled with the largest concentration of nuclear reactors in the world in the Kola Peninsula region pose a threat to Norway. Environmental issues have come to the forefront of Norwegian security and foreign policy concerns and in response, Norway has become a leader in emphasizing the importance of addressing environmental problems internationally.