Undersecretary Rauti at the presentation of the Proceedings of the First National Defense Conference on the Arctic

“The Central Arctic in the Global Balance of Power. Defense Plays an Integral Role in the National System”

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The Under Secretary of State for Defense, Sen. Isabella Rauti, responsible for Arctic, Subarctic, and Antarctic environmental affairs, attended the presentation of the proceedings of the First National Defense Conference on the Arctic—held in October 2025—at the Army General Staff Library in Rome.

“The Arctic has changed very rapidly as a result of climate change. A region long perceived as peripheral is now a central arena in global competition, where security, maritime and trade routes, strategic infrastructure, scientific research, technology, resources, and economic interests intersect. What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic: it affects Europe’s security and the global geopolitical balance,” stated Undersecretary Rauti.

“The new Italian Arctic Policy, presented by the government in January 2026, updates the 2015 Guidelines and is a strategic document in which the security dimension takes on greater importance than in the past.”

Regarding Italy’s role, the senator added: “Italy is aligned with a defensive deterrence posture and respect for international law, and contributes to the region’s stability and scientific cooperation.”

“The Arctic Defense Conference has become a regular event thanks to the decree issued by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, which established it as an annual event and set as its goal a systemic approach capable of fostering relations among institutions, academia, research, and industry. The path has been laid out: the Conference is not an isolated event but a programmatic and proactive forum for discussion.”

Rauti then announced the upcoming Conference, scheduled for October 29 in Rome: “Not a second edition, but a further leap forward: from a national dialogue to a more international scope, with a focus also on Antarctica, where the Ministry of Defense has been engaged—since 1985—in supporting the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA).”

“Italy, an observer state of the Arctic Council since 2013, does not view the polar regions through the lens of assertive posturing or power politics. It boasts and upholds a long tradition of polar exploration, as well as scientific research, technological capabilities, and industrial expertise. We embody a culture of international cooperation and environmental sustainability in a region where increasingly significant and conflicting interests of major global players converge.”

“We are working,” Rauti concluded, “to bring together the best of the Italian system and build a true national framework for the polar regions, strengthening Italy’s role as a central, authoritative, and reliable partner, capable of contributing to security, scientific knowledge, cooperation, and global stability.”