I would encourage the committee to read that Arctic foreign policy statement closely, because of course it is the last official comprehensive position of this government on the matter before you of Arctic foreign policy.
There are a couple of things that I would highlight about that policy. It was very emphatic that cooperation was the current trajectory of Arctic international relations and that it was very much in Canada's interest to continue that trajectory. We're playing in a region that involves the United States and Russia, right? As much as we might be Canadian nationalists, we have to recognize that in that kind of context, diplomacy is essential, because we are the smaller state.
Obviously, in a post-Cold War environment, the dynamic has changed. Russia was just admitted to the World Trade Organization. How do we capitalize on that engagement by Russia in the international system while not letting down our guard in terms of authoritarian tendencies, for instance, in Russia today? It's a tricky one, but that's what we have diplomats for; that's what we have foreign ministers for. Mr. Cannan clearly recognized and embraced that, and among other things worked very hard on his own personal relationship with the Russian foreign minister. So that's very important.
The other thing Mr. Cannan recognized was that there are a couple of loose ends in terms of Arctic maritime boundary disputes. There's the one in the Beaufort Sea and there's the one in the Lincoln Sea. He recognized, I think to his enormous credit, that you deal with these things when they are not in crisis mode. It's just like the issue of central Arctic Ocean fisheries. You do these things when the moment is quiet, when you can have reflective diplomacy and a friendly negotiation and you can craft appropriate compromises. He initiated discussions with the Americans on the Beaufort Sea. There was a speech he gave in Washington, D.C., where he publicly made the offer, which was accepted, to open discussions there.
There are discussions taking place with Denmark, and I'm very hopeful that we'll see some announcement there. The issues with Denmark are so small as to be almost laughable, both on Hans Island and in the Lincoln Sea. But what an opportunity to create a positive momentum by saying “We can work this out.” Among other things, we're negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union. Denmark is an important member of that. How do you ratchet up the goodwill just slightly with the European Union while you resolve the disputes we have over Arctic boundaries with the European Union state that's in the Arctic?