Tag Archives: Austre Adventfjord
ALARM ABOUT ADVISORIES ACQUIRING AUSTRE ADVENTFJORD (AGAIN): Russia and China (still) interested in coal-rich land near Longyearbyen, attorney tells Norway (and media)
This may sound familiar: Russian and Chinese companies are among those interesting in buying the coal mining rights to a large tract of land near Longyearbyen, an attorney representing the holder of those rights is telling Norway’s government and media.
Unsurprisingly, headlines appear nationwide Wednesday about the prospect of a major advisory gaining a potentially large economic/political foothold in Svalbard after it was first reported by NRK. But the coverage also noted the issue has surfaced repeatedly beginning in 2014 when the family-owned company that owned the land announced it planned to sell it – and how that ended up being what many called essentially a “ransom demand” to pressure Norway’s government into paying a heightened price to buy the land.
Swampland in Svalbard? Norway buys Austre Adventfjord, ‘underscores the government mess in the archipelago’
So it won’t be a Chinese holiday village after all. And it seems implausible those 20 million tons of coal will ever be mined. So just what is Norway going to do with all that land across from Longyearbyen, assuming Parliament approves a deal to purchase it for 300 million kroner?
Riches and refugees: People ask about buying Pyramiden weekly; here’s one guy’s reason – and what he’s eyeing now
(This is a guest column by Jiwoon Hwang)
I’m a newcomer from South Korea. I graduated Draper University’s international entrepreneurship program in Silicon Valley, attended an entrepreneurship program in South Korea and used to enjoy making robots.
When I was traveling Europe, I decided to visit Svalbard. I visited here two months ago. What amazed me was its great scenery and its open-border policy welcoming every world citizen. After going through a seven-week entrepreneurship bootcamp in Silicon Valley, I decided to develop Svalbard as international hub of creativity, entrepreneurship and cosmopolitanism.
Go USA…but go away China? Opposing reactions to two large-scale foreign investments in Svalbard
They’re both huge potential investments in Svalbard by foreign entities. One is being hailed as a key element of Longyearbyen’s post-mining future. The other is seen as undesirable and a possible threat.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Feb. 3, 2015
Analyst: Goverment facing rising pressure in Austre Adventfjord cases
The government is facing increasing pressure to resolve ownership and mining disputes on a large parcel of private land across the channel from Longyearbyen put on the market early last year, an analyst claims.
