What impact can the economic potential of the Arctic region have on avoiding conflict?

Abstract: The purpose of the thesis is to look into the Arctic region and the relationship that the economic potential of the region has with the growing tension. The research question of the thesis is ‘what impact can the economic potential of the Arctic region have on avoiding conflict?’. The thesis uses the theoretical framework of Complex Interdependence as the base for Arctic state behavior and dependency. The used methods are content analysis for all eight Arctic state regions policy papers and after that case study of a smaller group of states. The thesis highlights, firstly, that Arctic states are deeply interdependent, which make the possibility of conflict unlikely. Secondly, the analysis showed that only two states prioritize the economic potential of the region in their policy papers. Therefore, while conflict is not inevitable, the priority interest areas of each Arctic region state show that cooperation is more beneficial for all involved sides and the economic potential is not the catalyst for military conflict in the region.