PRESS RELEASE : UK commits to bolstering European security as Foreign Secretary visits Norwegian military command [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 September 2024.

• the Foreign Secretary will visit Norwegian Joint Headquarters with Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide to discuss deepening UK-Norway security collaboration
• the ministers will reinforce both countries’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine and tackling threats from Russia including their Shadow Fleet
• they will discuss the UK and Norway’s joint work in the High North to detect, deter and contain threats and defend NATO’s northern flank

Foreign Secretary David Lammy will commit to strengthening UK-Norway defence and security cooperation on a visit to Norwegian Joint Headquarters with Foreign Minister Barth Eide today [18 September].

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 6 months for winter training and military exercises.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy 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.