On Wednesday 18 March, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, signed the EU-Iceland Security and Defence Partnership.
“The EU and Iceland are close friends. Our security is shared, and so are the challenges we face. (...) This partnership will deepen our cooperation in areas that matter for the safety of our citizens (...). This is a win for the EU and for Iceland”, said Ms Kallas on her X account.
Based on shared values and interests in foreign and security policy, the Security and Defence Partnership offers “a tailored framework of cooperation” to deepen the exchanges on regional security issues and strengthen cooperation in areas like support to Ukraine, Arctic matters and maritime security, cyber issues, emerging and disruptive technologies, economic security, and climate change and security nexus, the two sides said in a joint statement.
This Partnership will be underpinned by a series of dialogue and consultation mechanisms to facilitate exchange of information and provide steering and oversight, including an annual dedicated Security and Defence Dialogue.
Iceland, which is a member of NATO but has no army, is the tenth country to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)