Orkxit? Orkney May Rejoin Norway as Archipelago Studies 'Alternative Governance'
© AFP 2023 / NTB SCANPIX / CORNELIUS POPPE / Norwegian flag (File)© AFP 2023 / NTB SCANPIX / CORNELIUS POPPE / SubscribeInternationalIndiaAfricaIgor KuznetsovAll materialsThe local council ventured that the archipelago was "failed dreadfully" by both England and Scotland and stressed that it belonged to the Norse kingdom for much longer than to the UK.Orkney, an archipelago of some 200 islands in Scotland, is set to explore "alternative forms of governance" and may ultimately part ways with the UK — to the point of becoming a self-governing province of Norway.The island chain located off the northern coast of Scotland seeks to broaden its economic opportunities and will consider changing its legal status within the UK.The motion to explore its "Nordic connections" has been put forward by Orkney Islands council leader James Stockan, who stressed that the archipelago was part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than it was part of the UK. He also ventured that Orkney had been "failed
"On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me: when are we going to pay back the dowry? When are we going back to Norway? There is a huge affinity and a huge, deep cultural relationship there. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible," Stockan said as quoted by UK media. "We share a vibrant and sustainable maritime economy. Norway is very good at this, and we have significant opportunities in our shared sea areas," he added in an interview with Norwegian media.
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