(Bloomberg) — Norway’s government ordered that any negotiations or agreements on the sale of a parcel of private land on the Arctic islands of Svalbard have to be cleared by the state in advance.
The current owners of a 14,830-acre plot about 40 miles from the town of Longyearbyen have put the property up for sale. They have said they are “open to selling to actors who can challenge Norwegian legislation on Svalbard,” the Trade and Industry Minister Cecilie Myrseth said in a statement on July 1.
Such a transaction could disrupt stability in the area and potentially threaten Norwegian interests, said the ministry, confirming that prior and express consent is needed for any deal.
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Interest in the Arctic region is growing as climate change reduces sea ice in the area, opening up new possibilities for shipping. A post-Cold War era characterized by demilitarization and scientific cooperation among the countries that border it is being tested by both global warming and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Sore Fagerfjord property is on the market for €300 million ($323 million), Per Kyllingstad, a lawyer representing the sellers, told Bloomberg in May. It has been owned for more than a century by Norwegian holding company Aktieselskabet Kulspids.
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This is a targeted measure that reduces the risk that national security interests may be threatened, the government said on July 1. The real estate has no value for use purposes and is located in a protected area which is subject to very strict restrictions, it said.
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