Foreign Secretary will commit to strengthening
UK-Norway defence and security cooperation on a visit to
Norwegian Joint Headquarters with Foreign Minister Barth Eide
today.
During the Foreign Secretary's visit, he will reaffirm both
countries' commitment to Ukraine, particularly through military
support to boost their defence capabilities. They will also
discuss efforts to tackle Russia's shadow fleet, cutting the flow
of illicit funds to Putin's war chest following on from UK
sanctions.
Norway and the UK have a long history of defence and security
collaboration especially in the High North. Norway has hosted
British Armed Forces' Arctic training for over 50 years, and over
4,000 UK troops will visit Norway in the next six months for
winter training and military exercises.
Foreign Secretary said:
“With the return of war to the European continent, the UK's
relationship with Norway, as a key ally in the defence of NATO's
northern flank, has never been more important.
“We are both unwavering in our support to Ukraine, and
together we are training and supporting the Ukrainian armed
forces including boosting the country's air defence and maritime
capabilities.
“Norway acts as our eyes and ears in the High North; our
joint work at the Norwegian military headquarters underlines the
importance of our work to bolster Europe's defences.
“Euro-Atlantic security is this government's foreign and
defence priority.”
In the face of Russia's sustained malign influence campaigns, and
its recent baseless expulsion of British diplomats, the UK and
Norway will agree to enhance intelligence-sharing and cooperation
to counter Russian disinformation networks in Europe and
beyond.
The Foreign Secretary will welcome Norway's navy patrols of the
waters between the UK and the Russian Northern Fleet, detecting,
deterring and managing increasingly sophisticated subsea threats
to energy, security and critical national infrastructure.
Norway is an important ally on conflict prevention and
peacebuilding, especially when it comes to ongoing conflict in
Gaza. The UK and Norway are also focused on ensuring joint
ambition on development truly delivers for global partners.
Norway is also a key trading partner in supplying the UK with the
energy it needs to power growth. That is why the UK and Norwegian
Prime Ministers agreed in July to begin work on a new
Norwegian-UK partnership on security and the energy
transition.
