The new center is expected to be staffed by at least five high-level Canadian officials, the Canadian Press reported.

The Arctic Council, established in 1996, is a high-level forum of nations whose boundaries straddle the frozen region. The EU is seeking permanent observer status at the council.

Disputes over the Arctic territories have flared up in recent years as global warming opens the possibility of more access to the north, with some channels expected to be ice-free by 2015. Russia, Denmark, the United States and Canada are all rushing to establish their boundary claims before a United Nations' deadline in 2013.

The region is believed to contain about one-fourth of untapped oil and natural gas wealth on the earth.

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Editor:Yang Jie