The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland has announced a new appointment to oversee the country’s engagement in Arctic affairs as Senior Arctic Official (SAO) to the Arctic Council.

Hlynur Guðjónsson, former Iceland´s ambassador to Canada, has been appointed Iceland´s Senior Arctic Official (SAO) to the Arctic Council. Within the ministry he will be responsible for managing Iceland’s interests in the Arctic Council. His responsibilities will also include a range of Arctic-related issues, both domestically and in international cooperation.

In a statement, Guðjónsson expressed enthusiasm for the position, noting the importance of Arctic matters for Iceland and the opportunity to further develop expertise in the region. He also emphasized the value of continuing dialogue on North-to-North relations, building on discussions and cooperation established during his previous work in the United States and Canada.

“I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to work on these crucial issues, to deepen my understanding of the region, and to continue the valuable conversations on Arctic cooperation,” Guðjónsson said.

At the same time, Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, who has been serving as Iceland´s Senior Arctic Official to the Arctic Council, has been appointed as Iceland’s Ambassador to China as of August 1st, replacing Þórir Ibsen. Ellertsdóttir, before being the SAO, was Iceland´s ambassador to the USA.

Source: Ministry for Foreign Affairs, LinkedIn (Hlynur Guðjónsson)