The US will open its first diplomatic post in Tromso, a northern city of Norway, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“To deepen our own engagement in the high North, I am announcing today the US will be opening an American presence post in Tromso,” Blinken told reporters on Thursday during a press conference held after a two-day informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo, capital of Norway.
With a population of more than 77,000, Tromso is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third most populous city in the Arctic Circle, Xinhua news agency reported.
The move is part of the US administration’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the Nordics and the Arctic Area.
The American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered super carrier just finished a seven-day visit to Oslo this week.
Norwegian media reported that the aircraft carrier is heading North along the nation’s coast and taking part in the Arctic Challenge Exercise (ACE) 2023, which will involve nearly 2,700 personnel and more than 150 aircraft.
The US maintains an embassy in Oslo. Norway maintains an embassy in Washington D.C., along with consulates in New York, Houston and San Francisco.
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