Generals from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the U.S. met at a Canadian military base in Goose Bay last week to discuss further cooperation in the Arctic.
This is the first time the northern chiefs of defense have had the opportunity to meet, as a forum, to share knowledge and expertise in managing the challenges posed by the Arctic’s geography, climate and distances, Ottawa Citizen writes.
Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Chief of the Canadian Defence Staff, said after the meeting that he was very pleased with the discussions amongst the eight generals: “Certainly what we saw was a great sense of a spirit of co-operation amongst everyone. We were able to gain an understanding of the unique challenges each faces with regards to emergency response and for support to our civilian authorities”.
Natynczyk said the defense chiefs had agreed to meet once a year from now on.
