Nordic Council session to be held next week

The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) has registered growing interest from state threat actors in Norway's coastal and maritime areas.

"We are seeing very significant interest in the Arctic and the High North from a number of countries. This mainly concerns Russia, but also China," Jon Fitje Hoffmann, director at PST, tild the norwegian broadcaster NRK.

According to Hoffmann, Russia is seeking to map Norwegian ports, communications cables, ans the thousands of kilometres of oil and gas pipelines on the seabed.

He said this could be part of general intelligence gathering, but could also serve as preparation for potential acts of sabotage.

PST is now urging the public to report unusual activity, including incidents that fall outside the normal pattern and people or vessels behaving suspiciously.

PST also advises individuals and businesses to be alert to unexplained friend requests on social media.

The Nordic countries have signed a joint declaration on security of supply and preparedness cooperation. The initiative aims to ensure better access to goods and services in times of crisis and war.

This is stated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Fisheries in a press release.

The current security situation in Europe has highlighted the need for resilient supply chains. Now the Nordic countries Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark, together with Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, have agreed on a joint declaration to further develop cooperation to maintain production, logistics and distribution of critical goods and services during crises and war, the statement says.

The declaration facilitates increased cooperation on, among other things:

· further development of schemes for the flow of goods and services in crises and war

· public-private collaboration on security of supply and emergency preparedness

· emergency storage and material readiness

· access to critical raw materials and strategic resources

· exchange of experiences and knowledge between the countries

“The Nordic countries are stronger when we cooperate. Close Nordic coordination is important to ensure that goods and services reach their destination even in demanding situations,” says Norway's Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth (Labour).

Norwegian Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik had his first telephone conversation with the new British Secretary of State for Defence, Wes Streeting, on Thursday,

During the telephone meeting, security challenges in the High North and closer defense cooperation were high on the agenda, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense reports in a press release.

"Norway and the United Kingdom have strong cultural, geographical and historical ties. Together we have stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the 77 years of NATO's existence. We are now well underway in expanding our already strong and close defense cooperation," says Norway's Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik, adding:

"Together we are strengthening NATO's defense flank in the Arctic and the High North to secure Norway and our allies in turbulent times."

One of the main topics discussed was the further strengthening of the strategic defence cooperation between the UK and Norway through the Lunna House Agreement. This was signed in December 2025 and is the most comprehensive defence cooperation agreement that Norway and the UK have entered into in recent times.

Sandvik and Streeting also spoke about the need for continued support for Ukraine and European contributions to NATO, and the North European security cooperation Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

Vice Admiral James Morley, Deputy Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), visited Sweden’s Northern Military Region from 7 to 9 June.

During the visit, the JFC Norfolk Deputy Commander gained first-hand insight into the operational environment of the High North - an area of growing strategic importance for the Alliance, a press release states.

The delegation, which also included Major General Stefan Sandborg, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations of the Swedish Armed Forces, visited eastern Norrbotten and the headquarters of the Northern Military Region in Boden.

There, military leaders met with representatives from Sweden’s North Civil Defence Region and Police Region North, highlighting the close cooperation between military and civilian authorities that forms the foundation of Sweden’s total defence concept.

"It has been valuable to see the progress made in integrating Sweden into the Alliance enterprise. Sweden's significant combat power and total defence concept - encapsulated brilliantly in the work at Regional Command North - adds significant capability to the Alliance," said Vice Admiral Morley.

"Sweden's stand-up of Forward Land Forces Finland and the transfer of authority to SACEUR marks another significant milestone and will further enhance NATO's defensive posture on the northern flank," he added.

Norway's role in the High North was central when General Alexsus G. Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), visited Norway last week.

“Norway holds a unique geostrategic position and plays a central role as NATO’s eyes and ears in the Arctic. We could not do our job without Norwegian support,” said Grynkewich.

After meetings in Oslo with the Norwegian chief of defense, prime minister and minister of defense, the general travelled to Bodø, Northern Norway, to visit NATO's new combined air operations centre. There he received first-hand briefings on how Norwegian and allied air forces operate together in the High North.

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In a survey conducted on behalf of Norwegian telecompany Telenor, 59 percent of respondents in Northern Norway said they are concerned that the mobile network could be put out of service as a result of sabotage.

"No one can promise that the network will never go down. But Telenor has built a network, a system and an organization that is ready to handle most challenges and crises", says Birgitte Engebretsen, CEO, Telenor Norway, in a press release.

Both the Intelligence Service, the Police Security Service and the National Security Authority point to sabotage of infrastructure as a scenario to be prepared for that could hit Norway at any time. Over the past five years, Telenor has invested 14 billion in modernizing and securing its networks.

Five Norwegian ministries met with the county municipalities in Northern Norway and the Sami Parliament to discuss total preparedness.

"The High North is Norway's most important strategic focus area. Never before has it been more important that we have a sustainable, strong and resilient North in the face of ever-increasing geopolitical uncertainty", says State Secretary Sigrid Ina Simonsen at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, in a press release.

On Thursday, April 23, key players met in Bodø, Northern Norway, under the auspices of the Regional High North Forum to discuss issues and expectations for further preparedness work in the region. The overall theme of the meeting was total defense, security and preparedness.

The list of participants included Finnmark, Troms and Nordland county municipalities, the Sami Parliament, the Ministry of Justice and Preparedness, the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

The meeting was considered an important arena for joint work to support society's resilience and preparedness in Northern Norway.

A cable that are exposed in the open air makes Norway more vulnerable to sabotage. Now the National Communications Unit (Nkom) and the e-com industry are joining forces to strengthen security around critical infrastructure.

“We need to gain better control over which cables are so important that they must be better protected against damage, sabotage and outages,” says Svein Scheie, security director at Nkom according to a press release.

He believes the work is very important for digital preparedness in Norway.

According to Minister of Digitalization and Public Administration Karianne Tung (Labour), there is great economic and social value in the use of the cables.

"In the government's plan for Norway, we are investing heavily in security in the digital infrastructure. The fiber cables transport great values for Norwegian business to the world. They are the basis for us to live and work throughout the country. That is why it is so important that we secure them better against sabotage, accidents and extreme weather", says Tung.

The Nordic countries and Canada are intensifying their cooperation in the areas of defence, security, resilience and green economic growth.

This was reported by the Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister in a press release.

At the Nordic-Canadian summit in Oslo today, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney together with Prime Ministers Mette Fredriksen of Denmark, Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, Petteri Orpo of Finland and Kristrún Frostadóttir of Iceland.

‘The Nordic countries and Canada have a great deal in common. We are all Arctic states and close NATO Allies, and we have many shared values and interests. Today, we have agreed to further deepen our cooperation in order to safeguard our security and create new opportunities for economic growth,’ said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

In a joint statement, the six Prime Ministers acknowledge that we are living in a time of heightened geopolitical tension, war and climate change, and reaffirmed that they are united in viewing international cooperation based on international law, shared values and interests as the best way to strengthen our common security and prosperity.

‘Canada and the Nordic countries work hard every day to enhance security in the Arctic, and we support the efforts to strengthen the Allied presence through NATO. For Norway, it is vital to build vibrant local communities in the north – communities where people want to live and that enhance our national security and preparedness,’ said Mr Støre.

In a world where technology and international trade are increasingly being used as coercive tools, high priority will be given to economic security, job creation and green economic growth as the Nordic countries and Canada work to strengthen their cooperation.

‘The Nordic countries and Canada are committed to democracy, the rule of law and international law. We firmly support Ukraine in its legitimate fight to defend itself against Russia’s illegal and brutal war, and we call on all members of the Coalition of the Willing to increase their support,’ said Mr Støre.

This week, a joint Nordic transport ministers' meeting was held in Rovaniemi, Finland. The purpose of the meeting was to observe the NATO exercise Cold Response 2026 and discuss a recently developed joint Nordic strategy for preparedness in the transport system.

In 2025, through the Nordic Transport Preparedness Cooperation (NTPC), close cooperation has been established and a joint Nordic strategy has been created on behalf of the Nordic transport ministers.

The strategy is based on the transport plans of the individual Nordic countries, and a set of common priorities is proposed. This concerns the transport corridors that are of greatest importance in a Nordic context, and the measures that NTPC considers to be most critical.

In addition, challenges and needs for follow-up of infrastructure, materials, regulations and transport services must be identified.

In a joint statement, the three transport ministers agreed to prioritize the most important transport routes across national borders. They will also remove traffic obstacles to facilitate the movement of the armed forces, and to ensure good crisis preparedness and the safe delivery of goods.