“Good Discussions About the Security Sitation in the North”

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Ministers of Defense in the Northern European security and defense forum Northern Group met in Oslo. This consists of the Nordic and the Baltic countries, as well as Great Britain, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands.

"We have had good discussions about joint challenges, such as the security situation in the North and how to best cooperate. Both we and our allies are concerned with protecting our interests and securing the energy supply in a serious security policy situation in Europe," says Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram (Center) in a press release.

The Northern Group had its last meeting in June in Iceland. The ministers of defense then emphasized unity in the face of new threats and several countries entered into new cooperation agreements. (Article only in Norwegian)

In a joint statement from yesterday's meeting, the ministers reiterate that Russia's warfare against Ukraine is a threat to the security in Europe and the North Atlantic area. Continuing, they point to the discussion around the security developments in Europe, including the High North and the Baltic Sea, and say the following:

"We underline our strong political unity and cohesion in the face of threats to our region. We will continue our collaboration with regard to securing critical infrastructure in and between our respective countries. We remain steadfast in our common efforts to stand up against and counter Russian malign activities and threats, and their potential impacts on European security."

The ministers of defense also express continued support for Finland and Sweden in their transition period towards NATO membership.

The ministerial meeting took place aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is currently docked in the capital.