The Arctic Council, at a meeting Wednesday in northern Sweden, granted permanent observer status to China and six others, in a powerful signal of the polar region's growing international importance. Foreign ministers of the eight-member council, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, made the decision at a biennial gathering, which took place in the town of Kiruna.
The other countries given permanent observer status were India, Italy, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, adding to the geographic reach of the once-obscure group which promotes co-operation on environmental protection, oil and mineral exploitation, shipping, tourism and fishing.
"It strengthens the position of the Arctic Council on the international scene," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who chaired the meeting. The Arctic Council received an application for permanent EU observer status "affirmatively", but deferred a final decision on the issue. "It will be implemented once certain questions have been tackled, but the decision means that the EU already now can act as an observer," Bildt's spokesman Erik Zsiga said.