The United States will open its first diplomatic post in Tromso, a northern city of Norway, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Thursday.
"To deepen our own engagement in the high North, I am announcing today the United States will be opening an American presence post in Tromso," Blinken told reporters during a press conference held after a two-day informal meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (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.
The move is part of the U.S. 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 approximately 2,700 personnel and over 150 aircraft.
The United States maintains an embassy in Oslo. Norway maintains an embassy in Washington D.C., along with consulates in New York, Houston and San Francisco.
