Murkowski says Alaska has a lot to offer the Arctic — but the US can’t be complacent

"We can’t take the attitude that we will get to this when it’s convenient for us."

Alaska’s senior U.S. senator, Lisa Murkowski, sat down with ArcticToday Publisher Alice Rogoff on the sidelines of the 2018 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland last week to discuss the state’s role in the Arctic.

The wide-ranging discussion covered topics from military investment in infrastructure, to Murkowski’s vision — which she also discussed on stage during a plenary event at the conference — of a network of ports in Alaska’s Arctic.

Two themes emerged, though. First, that Alaska can be proud as its role as an innovator in the Arctic, even as it learns and takes inspiration from other parts of the region. The second is that the rest of the world will continue paying more attention to the Arctic, even if the US does not.

“We can’t take the attitude that we will get to this when it’s convenient for us and just assume that everyone else is working on our timeline,” she said.

Watch the full interview above, or on YouTube.