YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. NATO must prioritize its military presence in the Arctic, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday, DW reports.

Stoltenberg’s comments come amid heightened concerns in the West about Russia's increasing military activity in the polar region.

In an interview with Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Stoltenberg said the Arctic was of "great strategic importance" to NATO.

"NATO must increase its presence in the Arctic," Stoltenberg was quoted by DW as saying.

He said the defense alliance is "already investing in maritime reconnaissance aircraft to be able to get a clear picture of what is going on in the far north. But we will continue to step up our efforts."

Stoltenberg said that Russia has recently intensified its activities in the resource-rich area by "reopening Soviet-era bases" and "stationing and testing new state-of-the-art weapons there, such as hypersonic missiles." 

China, too, is increasingly interested in the Arctic, he added, noting how the region is becoming increasingly important for shipping due to climate change.