Clinton tours resource-rich Arctic

TROMSO, Norway -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday ventured north of the Arctic Circle and urged international cooperation in a region that could become a new battleground for natural resources.

On her trip to northern Norway, she conveyed that message of working together in one of the world's last frontiers of unexplored oil, gas and mineral deposits. The region is becoming more significant as melting ice caps accelerate the opening of shipping routes, fishing stocks and drilling opportunities.

To safely tap the riches, the United States and others near the North Pole are trying to cooperate to combat harmful climate change, settle territorial disputes and prevent oil spills.

"The world increasingly looks to the North," Clinton said after a two-hour boat tour of the Balsfjord and meeting with scientists.

The United States, she added, was "committed to promoting responsible management of resources and doing all we can to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change."

-- AP