“We think cooperation in the north is more important than ever in these times,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storey, referring to the Russian operation in Ukraine. He added that he agreed with his partners in the Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Icelandic offices that the heads of the ministries of foreign affairs and defense would inspect areas of security policy “where cooperation can be deepened and common interests maximized.”
The meeting also discussed the process of Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO, issues of climate protection and cooperation in the field of energy. German Chancellor Olaf Schulz also took part in the discussions. For months, the German government has been trying to establish a closer partnership with northern European countries in order to reduce dependence on gas in Russia. Since mid-June, deliveries of Russian gas to Germany have decreased, and since then Norway has become the most important supplier of gas to Germany.
After the talks, Schulz also spoke about possible new sanctions by the European Union against Russia. As he said, they are discussing banning Russian tourists at the EU level, but at the same time it should be borne in mind that this should not make it more difficult for opponents to leave Russia.
“It is important to understand that many people are also fleeing Russia because they do not agree with the Russian system,” Schultz emphasized.
Schulz traveled from Oslo to Sweden, where he will hold a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Tuesday.
