Norwegian monarch visits polar Svalbard as interest in Arctic grows

OSLO (Reuters) -Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja were due to visit on Monday the main settlement on the strategically located Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at a time of increased interest in the resource-rich polar region from the U.S., Russia and China. Focus on the Arctic's strategic importance for mining, shipping and security has increased sharply because of repeated statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that he wants to take over Greenland. The royal visit comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland in a show of European solidarity.