Norway’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt admitted on Tuesday that it is necessary to “maintain some contact” with Russian authorities to avoid “misunderstandings” and a possible escalation of tensions in the Arctic.
“We cannot change our geography. Russia is Norway’s neighbor”said Huitfeldt, when he defined the situation in the north as “stable”, next to the disputed Arctic, despite the fact that “things can change quickly”.
In this regard, the Norwegian minister said that Oslo is “monitoring Russian military activity” and “increasing Defense presence and coordinating activities with the Allies”.
“The inclusion of Finland and Sweden in NATO will benefit the Atlantic Alliance and make our region more stable”the minister said in a statement.
According to Huitfeldt, Sweden’s and Finland’s entry into the Atlantic bloc “will lead to greater cooperation” between the Nordic countries, not only in the fields of defense and security, but also in environmental and infrastructure development.
Source: DN
