Sunday, November 9, 2025
Crimes

Norwegian court sentences repeated child abuser to 3 years in prison

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan
Deputy Police Chief Gunnar Floystad (L), investigation leader Hilde Reikeraas (C) and prosecutor Janne Heltne (R) at a press conference on the pedophile network case (EPA Photo)

Deputy Police Chief Gunnar Floystad (L), investigation leader Hilde Reikeraas (C) and prosecutor Janne Heltne (R) at a press conference on the pedophile network case (EPA Photo)

One of the leading figures of the child pornography network in Norway received three years in prison for confessing and pleading guilty to the crime.

According to Norwegian broadcaster TV2, the 24-year-man was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison by Bergen County Court for sexually abusing 18 children in Norway.

His victims were children, both girls and boys, between the ages of 13 and 16. The verdict is reportedly based on the rape of three under 16-year-old girls. The accused filmed and photographed all of these sexual acts with the children, which are now used as evidence against him. In total 2,300 photos and 190 videos were confiscated.

According to Norwegian Verdens Gang (VG) newspaper, the man testified that he had had sexual chat with around 800 people, of whom 20 to 30 could be under 16.

However, his sentence was lowered for ‘good conduct’ and cooperation with police.

The Norwegian police carried out an operation entitled ‘Dark Room’ and uncovered a network of pedophiles, detaining 20 of them last week. The police launched investigations against 31 other men suspected of having links with the network.

The 24-year-old man being prosecuted was one of the key figures. 150 Terabytes of countless photos, movies and chat room conversations were confiscated in the operation, reports said.

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Russia and Norway

Norway resumes high-level talks with Russia

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

screen-shot-2016-11-28-at-17-33-35Norway has resumed high-level talks with Russia on trade and economic cooperation that were broken off after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries said in a statement on Monday.

Industry Minister Monica Maeland and Oil Minister Tord Lien held separate meetings in Oslo with Russia’s Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi.

“This is the first time Norway and Russia hold bilateral meetings at the ministerial level since 2014,” the ministry added.

Norway takes part in international sanctions against Russia imposed after the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

(Dailymail / Reuters)

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Norwegian Aid

Norway offers $1.2m to finance ‘Job opportunities for youth of Egypt’ project

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

sahar-nasr-with-norwayEgypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr and foreign minister of Norway Børge Brende signed on Sunday an agreement worth $1.2m regarding the implementation of the “Job opportunities for youth of Egypt” project in Qaliubiya and Menoufiya governorates.

The agreement was signed in the presence of the Norwegian ambassador to Cairo, Sten Arne, and director of the International Labor Organisation (ILO) Cairo office Peter Van Rooij, as well as a number of the European Parliament members who are visiting Egypt.

Nasr said that the project aims to create decent jobs for young people through offering a group of training programmes to increase productivity and enhance innovation, as well as support small and micro-enterprises owned by young people.

The minister pointed out that there is a strong commitment from the government to provide job opportunities for young people through the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). She added that the ministry is cooperating with its partners to develop young people’s skills and provide them with the required tools to improve their living standards and contribute to the development of the community and economy.

The ministry is working to provide financing for SMEs, which represent more than 98% of the companies in Egypt and provide more than 85% of jobs.

Brende said that the young generation faces significant challenges, as about one third of youth are unemployed, so there is an urgent need to find structural solutions to these challenges on the short-term.

He added that they will work in cooperation with the ILO to increase job opportunities for young people in Qaliubiya and Menoufiya governorates, which suffer from big challenges in terms of employment.

Brende continued that the project depends on the existing cooperation between the Egyptian government and the ILO. It focuses on business management training, productivity, working conditions, and training for employment. The project will also facilitate communication with financial service providers.

(daily news egypt)

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NATO and Norway

Finland and Sweden – will they join NATO soon?

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

sverige-finland-rapport_ingressOn the 24 November 2016, Joakim Berndtsson, Karl Ydén and Kimmo Rentola visited IFS to discuss why Sweden and Finland have not become NATO members.
The conditions have long appeared auspicious for Finland and Sweden to make the jump from partnerships with the NATO alliance to actually submitting formal applications for membership. Ever since both countries joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994, they have nurtured increasingly close security ties to the alliance. Both are considered “Gold Card” members, contributing substantially to NATO operations and participating in alliance training exercises. Seminar Chair Professor Magnus Petersson summarized this situation before a well-attended seminar at IFS, and invited a distinguished panel to tackle the question of why these two countries have not taken the final step to becoming members.

SWEDEN
Swedish public support for NATO membership has risen in recent years but the public remains committed to non-alignment, observed the scholarly team of Joakim Berndtsson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Gothenberg and Karl Yden, Senior Lecturer at Chalmers and Visiting Research Fellow at Kings College London. Sweden’s history of neutrality remains a powerful component of its national identity, even as the country has closely integrated its armed forces with NATO. For many, Sweden appears to be “more NATO than most NATO members” and has become as close a partner as possible without actually being a member of the alliance.

Public attitudes regarding NATO membership have, not surprisingly, reflected the evolving security situation in the region. Particularly after the “Russian Easter Incident” in 2013 – when a Russian military exercise simulated an attack on Sweden, causing NATO aircraft to respond while Swedish planes remained on the ground – public concerns about Russia have increased dramatically. Additionally, the Swedish government has declared that it would not remain passive if neighboring countries were threatened. Sweden has, in essence, shifted from a policy of non-alignment to one of close cooperation with its European partners. Paradoxically, however, the Swedish public is slightly in favor of NATO membership but also desires non-alignment. Of course, this is not a tenable position, but Berndtsson and Yden speculate that the lack of a public discussion about defense and security matters in Sweden has led to this complicated attitude among Swedes. Membership in NATO is not seen as a realistic possibility in the near-term.

FINLAND
The situation in Finland is not dissimilar, acknowledged Professor Kimmo Rentola of the University of Helsinki. Finland has contributed and cooperated closely with NATO since 1994, sending forces (as did Sweden) to Afghanistan under the aegis of NATOs International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Finnish foreign policy elites and the popular media generally favor membership, whereas opposition rests among the more pacifist-focused left as well as centrist parties. The Finnish arguments for membership mirror those of Sweden, including security guarantees, existing cooperation and interoperability of the armed forces, and the threat from Russia to the east. Nordic Defense Cooperation has also been an important effort for both Sweden and Finland.

Just as in Sweden, however, the Finns have their own cultural attitudes and national identity that runs counter to alliance membership. Stretching back to the 1939-1940 Winter War, when Finland saw itself as fighting alone against the Soviet invasion (it actually had some assistance, Rentola points out), the Finnish people have retained a strong independent streak based on self-reliance. Support for membership has remained surprisingly steady at around 25-30%. There remains an intense willingness to defend the country, but this collective memory of fighting alone has given them a high degree of self-confidence and alliance membership has therefore not been considered necessary. Public opinion is therefore likely to remain steady, unless influenced by external changes such as a greater threat from Russia. A Swedish entrance into NATO that would leave Finland as the only Western non-member in the region might also affect attitudes toward alliance membership.

POIGNANT QUESTION
A number of excellent questions from the audience kept the panel busy. One questioner wondered why the Finns were so confident in going it alone since their military forces appear to be increasingly outdated – do they believe it be possible for the country to defend itself? Rentola acknowledged the futility of defending against a much larger Russian military, though no European country would be able to defend itself either. Many are in any case skeptical that a confrontation would be isolated to one country.

Another observed that there appears to be a movement inside the NATO alliance to close off some aspects of further cooperation with Sweden and Finland in order to force them into a decision on membership. What reaction might this inspire? Berndtsson replied that the answer would depend upon which political party was in the ruling coalition, and that limiting NATO partnership may cause Sweden to rely to an even greater degree on NORDEFCO or bilateral security agreements with the United States. An interesting discussion ensured as to the extent of bilateral security agreements constituting security guarantees (as it appears to have been sold to the Swedish public) and the explicit collective security arrangement of the NATO alliance.

The bottom line, all could agree, was that no one should expect membership applications from Sweden and Finland anytime soon. Nevertheless, the discussion raised a number of important points that deserved continued attention.

(Summary by Michael Mayer – forsvaret)

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Middle East and Norway

Egypt looks forward to enhancing cooperation with Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

sisi-1-1President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said on Sunday that Egypt is looking forward to enhancing cooperation in all fields with Norway during his meeting with Norwegian foreign minister Børge Brende, along with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Norway’s ambassador to Egypt.

According to a presidential statement, Al-Sisi praised the positive development of bilateral relations between the two countries. He added that Egypt is keen to cooperate with Norway in the thriving fields of shipping and port management, fishery projects, and traditional and renewable energy projects.

Al-Sisi further welcomed Norwegian companies to increase their investments in Egypt and contribute to national mega projects that are currently being executed, stressing the importance of continuing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Al-Sisi also said that discussions will be ongoing with Norway in terms of regional topics and international issues of mutual interest, particularly the Palestinian issue and Norway’s efforts in rebuilding Gaza.

Moreover, the statement added that Brende noted Egypt’s strategic regional and international importance. He also praised Egypt’s “ambitious” economic reform programme and its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying that Norway adheres to its commitment of being an economic partner to Egypt owing to its trust in Egypt’s economy.

The presidential statement concluded by saying that the meeting tackled regional issues, and disclosed Egypt’s vision regarding the political turmoil in Syria, Libya, and other countries in the Middle East. Brende praised Egypt’s role in attempting to stabilise the region.

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Science

Iran, Norway sign MoU in HSE

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

screen-shot-2016-11-26-at-12-51-36Iran’s Association of Oil Industry Companies Health, Safety and Environment signed an MoU with the Norwegian company of Lloyd’s Register (LR) in the field of HSE.

HSEOIC received the LR certificate to provide local companies with HSE training and provide risk assessment to companies involved in the oil and gas sector, Shana reported.

LR is a global engineering, technical and business services organization wholly owned by Lloyd’s Register Foundation — a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and engineering.

Founded in 1760 as a marine classification society, LR now operates across many industry sectors, with over 9,000 employees based in 78 countries.

LR has a long-standing reputation for integrity, impartiality and technical excellence. LR gives compliance, risk and technical consultancy services to clients and ensures them that their assets and businesses are safe, sustainable and dependable.

Through its global technology centers and research network, LR is at the forefront of understanding the application of new science and technology to future-proof its clients businesses.

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Oil & Gas

Heimdal said shut down due to fire alarm

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

screen-shot-2016-11-25-at-22-29-52Production was shut down due to a fire alarm on Statoil’s Heimdal gas platform in the North Sea on Friday morning, Norwegian press reported.

The platform’s fire safety system indicated a fire in the main generator at 1 am, halting production and triggering a procedure for the evacuation of 67 workers on board, Norway’s daily Stavanger Aftenblad reported.

The Heimdal platform’s capacity averages some 15-20% of Norway’s total gas output, which supplies about a third of the EU’s annual gas imports.

This is the latest in a series of recent incidents which have led the country’s Petroleum Safety Authority to demand that Statoil investigate whether its attempts to cut costs were compromising safety. In October, the company posted USD 261 million in adjusted losses for Q3 and pledged to axe its capex by an additional USD 1 billion.

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Peace Talks

Norway minister upbeat on PH peace

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

8f6abda3-5cb1-4584-9af9-b6f1813e56a4Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende sees increasing chances for the Duterte administration forging a peace deal between the Philippine government and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Speaking at the sidelines of the 4th European Ambassadors’ Forum in Manila on Friday, the diplomat cited recent positive developments that could help achieve peace.

“We have seen really new momentum in the process with the guerrillas and this is I think important to the Philippines,” Brende told reporters in an interview.

“It’s a historical opportunity to reach an agreement so that conflict can be settled,” he said.

The second round of formal peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army and political arm CPP was held in Oslo last October.

The third round had been scheduled for January next year.

“So it’s going to be on stream right now,” Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process, said during the ambassadors’ forum.

“Within our sight is the bright prospect of bringing everyone to the negotiating table for a shared vision of sustainable unity and peace in our land,” Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said.

While acknowledging that the road ahead is still “bumpy,” Brende said settling the nearly 50-year conflict will bring great opportunities for the Philippines to move forward.

“One thing is to get an agreement. But then it’s the implementation and we have to get the implementation right,” he added.

Brende also on Friday flew to Davao City to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte for a “broad agenda,” including the peace process, bilateral cooperation, maritime sector, economic-trade agenda and regional and global challenges.

The Norwegian official said he will also discuss with the President the Philippines- European Free Trade Association free trade agreement.

Signed last April, the agreement is expected to enter into force next year after completion of necessary internal procedures for ratification by the parties.

(manilatimes)

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Terrorist

Norway Court Approves Extraditing Cleric Mullah Krekar to Italy

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

e20050308-025Norwegian judges confirmed on Friday that all conditions had been met to extradite Krekar to Italy, where he would face terror-related charges.

The Oslo District Court had in June given permission to extradite the 60-year-old Kurdish cleric with alleged links to the self-styled ‘Islamic State’ group. Krekar had appealed the case, but faltered on Friday at the Oslo appeals court.

Krekar’s lawyer Brynar Meling said that his client would appeal to Norway’s Supreme Court.

Krekar has been living in Norway as a refugee since 1991. Until now, a total of 13 people were arrested in connection with Krekar’s case.

Krekar was previously convicted of threatening Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and praising the murder of Charlie Hebdo cartoonists by IS gunmen in Paris in January 2015. Norwegian authorities ordered him to be expelled in 2003, after he was considered a threat to national security, but Norwegian law bars his deportation to Iraq, where he could face the death penalty.

(sgl/mgt/ort)

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Russia and Norway

Russia to build heavy-duty radar station near Murmansk

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

russia-to-build-heavy-duty-radar-station-near-murmanskRussia is to install a heavy-duty radar station near Murmansk, not far from the border with Finland and Norway, to warn of potential missile strikes, according to Sergei Boyev, chief executive of the holding company that will construct it.

The Voronezh-DM type radar station will be able to detect ballistic, space and aerodynamic objects, including cruise missiles. Boyev says the station “will cover the main missile-threat direction” in the western area.

The Voronezh-type radar station allows the Russian Defense Ministry to see, in sectors, what is happening around Russian territory at a distance of up to 3,600 miles.

The station is one of three elements of an integrated missile-attack warning system.

“The first level concerns space,” said a source from Russia’s defense industry. “For example, our Tundra-type satellites, which the Russian Defense Ministry sent into orbit last year, report on the launches of ballistic missiles from potential enemy territory.”

The Voronezh type radar station, or those equivalent to it, he says, then tracks the warhead’s flight trajectory and aims the missile defense systems at the warhead.

“The satellites record the launch and then we must determine where the missile is heading — to Russia or South America. It’s this system that gives the target designation to the antimissile defense systems. And such a radar station covers the distance from St. Petersburg to the U.S. coast,” added the source.

While radar stations of the previous generation looked like ancient Egyptian pyramids, the current model is strikingly different.

“The Soviet Daryal in Azerbaijan consisted of two cyclopean concrete structures: a 60-meter-high broadcasting center and a 100-meter-high ‘receiver.’ They were serviced by a hundred people and construction took 10 years and cost $1 billion,” the source from the Russian defense industry said. In his words, the Voronezh, with its “latticework antenna canvas-sail tucked under light siding and several containers with apparatus, looks like a Lilliputian next to the Daryal.

The cost of the new station is estimated to be between $23 and $31 million.

The station is serviced by 15 people. It is prepared, assembled and tested at the manufacturer. The modular cubes are then put together as a station on site and are configured to do their job.

Since the early 2000s, Russia has been modernizing its missile-attack warning systems. To secure its borders, Moscow has had to replace the old stations from the Soviet period, as well as the facilities in the Baltics, Ukraine and Belarus that were lost after the collapse of the USSR.

In 2008, a new Voronezh-type missile-attack warning system was deployed in the settlement of Lekhtusi near Saint Petersburg. It is capable of identifying all air and space objects from the coast of Morocco to Spitsbergen, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.

The second station was launched in Armavir in Krasnodar Krai, 870 miles south of Moscow. It tracks events occurring in the area from North Africa to India.

Similar missile-attack warning systems are now deployed in the Kaliningrad region in the settlement of Pionerskoye (800 miles west of Moscow) and near Irkutsk (3,200 miles east of Moscow). The first tracks missile launches from a “western direction”; the second – from the area from China to the west coast of the United States.

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to introduce similar facilities in Krasnoyarsk Krai (2,600 miles east of Moscow) and Altai Krai (2,400 miles east of Moscow), as well as in Orsk (1,100 miles east of Moscow) and near Vorkuta (1,200 miles northeast of Moscow).

(This article originally appeared on Russia Beyond the Headlines)

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Crimes

Norwegian police expect more arrests in extensive paedophile probe

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

screen-shot-2016-11-23-at-12-35-16Norwegian police said Tuesday they expect more arrests in connection with a probe into 51 men linked to what they believe is the country’s largest paedophile ring to date.

Police in the west coast city of Bergen on Sunday disclosed they had made 21 arrests and secured three convictions.

Investigations were ongoing in other parts of the country. A man in his 60s was arrested Tuesday in the northern region of Finnmark.

The suspects – including lawyers, students, and businessmen – shared images and videos, including live web camera feeds of abuse. Some showed abuse of infants, police said.

A total of 5,000 user accounts have been traced and the case was “shockingly large,” lead investigator Hilde Reikras told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

The investigation began in January after police found suspect chat conversations on a 22-year-old man’s computer after his arrest in 2015 over having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

The chats were traced to the dark web, a hidden part of the World Wide Web that does not show up on ordinary search engines, like Google, and users are anonymous.

The probe has been dubbed Dark Room.

In one chat documented by investigators, two men discussed abducting a young girl. Other suspects asked for live feeds of abuse.

Minors in both Norway and the Philippines were reportedly abused.

(ebinews)

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Srilanka and Norway

Norway and ILO partner in Sri Lanka’s North

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

norway11222016Norway and International Labor Organization (ILO) in Sri Lanka have signed a partnership agreement on Tuesday to extend the Government of Norway’s support to the conflict affected communities in the North. The project will address the immediate needs of decent work and livelihood opportunities at the grass root level in the conflict affected Northern Districts.

The Agreement was signed between ILO Sri Lanka, Officer in Charge Indra Tudawa and the Ambassador of Norway to Sri Lanka Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther.

Under the partnership, ILO Sri Lanka with the financial support of the Government of Norway will enhance local economic development through partnerships between the private sector and primary producer communities which will lead to sustainable income generation activities for the families in the project districts.

Under the support of NOK 11 million (approx. Rs. 190 million), the two-year project will directly support more than 2000 families by developing new business models such as joint ventures between cooperatives and large agro based companies, fruit and vegetable and fish exporters to transform the lives of conflict affected communities. Under the norway-02fruit and vegetable sector the project will focus on expanding different varieties of fruits and green leaves and herbal products which have viable export market potential. Under the fishery sector, the main focus will be on seafood for developing export links.

The Cooperatives in the project areas will be strengthened to work with Private Sector and negotiate the partnerships for the benefit of the members. In parallel the project will support to achieve Fairtrade certification and sustainably sourced certification for the cooperatives to enhance potential market value for the produced. In all the project interventions will constitute of 60% of women, out of which 30% to 40% will be from Female Headed Households.

At the signing of the contract the Norwegian Ambassador stated “generating sustainable livelihood and economic empowerment of the conflict affected communities is key to reconciliation and economic development of the country.”

(N.Sethu)

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Norwegian Aid

Brussels: Norway pledges $5.5m aid support to CAR

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

bruss-300x200Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Borge Brende in a statement on Thursday, announced additional aid funds of estimated $5.5 million to the Central African Republic (CAR) as part of a donor support conference led by the European Union (EU) in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

According to Borge Brende “it was important for the international community to support the CAR with a view to alleviating the acute humanitarian needs and contributing to more long-term peacebuilding.”

The central African nation has been plunged into crisis with international bodies reporting that the potential for sectarian violence remained high. Indiscriminate violence and looting has occurred since the overthrow of the government in March 2013.

The EU donor conference aims at getting CAR back on track after years of conflict that has adversely affected the country.

‘The main objective of the Brussels Conference on the Central African Republic will be to draw together commitments to help the authorities restore peace and security, renew the social contract and revive the economy” an EU statement read.

According to the bloc, ‘‘in order to develop a consensus on needs and priorities for the next five years, the CAR authorities requested the support from the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union to prepare a joint Recovery and Peace Building Assessment.”

Thousands of UN peacekeepers and a few hundred French troops are still in the Capital Bangui and areas where tensions remain high.

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Asia and Norway

Bangladesh expects Norway foreign minister’s visit in February

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

screen-shot-2016-11-21-at-21-32-15The newly appointed Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh, Blake Sidsel, has met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and State Minister for Foreign affairs Md. Shahriar Alam.

During separate meetings on Monday at the foreign ministry, they discussed bilateral issues and areas for further expanding the relations, the foreign ministry said.

The foreign minister recalled his visit to Norway in early September and expressed “confidence” that Norwegian foreign minister would visit Bangladesh in February 2017, as was agreed in Oslo.

Ali said there was “ample scope” of expanding the bilateral trade.

He said Bangladesh offers “significant” investment incentives which the Norwegian businesspeople can take.
The state minister sought the ambassador’s support for technology transfer from Norway “to identify and quantify our marine resources”.

He encouraged Norwegian investment in renewable energy.

Norwegian company ‘Scatec Solar’ offered $800 million investment to generate 500 MW solar power in different parts of Bangladesh when Foreign Minister Ali was in Oslo.

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Crimes

Politicians, lawyers arrested in Norway paedophile network probe

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

jailNorwegian police say they are investigating a paedophile network suspected to involve at least 51 people, which includes the abuse of infants and at least one case of a suspect acknowledging abusing his own children.

Deputy Police Chief Gunnar Floystad says that in Norway’s largest abuse case to date they have arrested 20 men so far, with three convictions, in western Norway. The 31 other suspects are from other regions in Norway.

Floystad told reporters Sunday that many of the suspects are highly educated, and include lawyers and politicians. He said he could not reveal more details pending the conclusion of the investigation, known as “Dark Room,” which began in 2015.

Prosecutors said the perpetrators met in the dark web, using encryption and anonymity to hide their tracks.

(AP)

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Economics

Norway: Staff Concluding Statement of an IMF Staff Visit

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan
(FILES): This April 5, 2007 file photo shows the International Monetary Fund logo at IMF headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. The IMF announced November 2, 2009 the sale of 200 tonnes of gold to India's central bank, nearly half the amount targeted for sale over the coming years to shore up IMF finances. The total sales proceeds are equivalent to 6.7 billion dollars, the IMF said. AFP PHOTO / Files / TIM SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

logo at IMF headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.  (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

Recent Developments and Outlook

The economy is slowly recovering from the shock of low oil prices. After remaining largely flat last year, mainland GDP expanded at a slow pace in the first three quarters this year, aided by supportive monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation remains above the 2.5 percent target, largely reflecting lagged effects of last year’s krone depreciation on imported consumer goods prices, whereas wage growth is very modest. Unemployment is expected to peak this year— albeit still at a low level— and is mainly concentrated in oil-dependent regions as the economy continues to adjust to declining offshore demand. The krone has strengthened somewhat this year alongside the recovery in oil prices. House price inflation accelerated again recently, particularly in Oslo and surrounding areas, and household debt remains elevated at 224 percent of disposable income.

A continued recovery is expected, but there are downside risks. We project mainland growth to remain at about 1 percent this year, but to accelerate to 1¾ percent next year, supported by a pick-up in investment and export growth and improving consumer and business sentiment. Unemployment is projected to peak this year before declining in 2017. As low capacity utilization weighs on domestic inflation and the effects of the krone depreciation dissipate, inflation is set to return gradually to target next year. However, the outlook hinges on a smooth transition away from oil and is subject to downside risks. Weaker-than-expected growth in key advanced and emerging economies could derail the non-oil export recovery and the transition. Persistently lower energy prices could compound the adverse growth impact of the ongoing decline in oil investment. Domestically, a housing market correction could result in an abrupt reduction in consumption and residential investment with ripple effects on corporate earnings and banks.

Policy Challenges — Supporting Transition and Addressing Structural Vulnerabilities

Monetary Policy

Monetary policy should stay accommodative to support the recovery. With core inflation returning to target and inflation expectation remained close thereto, monetary policy can afford to remain on hold for now. As the recovery takes on a more solid footing, a gradual return to the neutral rate will be needed over time. Given the significant slack in the economy, financial stability risks stemming from the housing market would best be tackled by targeted macroprudential and other measures (see below), including gradually phasing out the large tax subsidy for housing investment.

Fiscal Policy

The expansionary 2017 budget is broadly appropriate, but fiscal measures should be pro-transition and pro-growth. The level of fiscal stimulus planned for 2017 is justified, given the significant output gap, the level of unemployment, and ample fiscal space. However, stimulus should focus on well-targeted measures that facilitate the economy’s rebalancing to a new growth model based on non-oil tradable sectors. The 2017 budget contains welcome further reductions in personal and corporate income tax rates, but other tax policy changes to promote a more efficient allocation of resources should also be considered. In particular, reducing tax preferences for housing would help channel new investment toward more productive uses and take some of the pressure off rapidly rising house prices. The temporary funding allocated to combat unemployment in oil-dependent regions should help smooth the transition. Emphasis should be put on retraining and mobility-enhancing measures, such as measures to promote housing supply and related infrastructure in job-abundant urban areas, to move unemployed workers into non-oil private tradable sectors, instead of replacing declining oil-related employment with public sector employment.

The fiscal stance should shift to neutral as the economy returns to potential. The government’s fiscal policy has generally been prudent with the non-oil structural deficit staying well below 4 percent of GPFG assets in recent years. However, the fact that GPFG has been growing much faster than the economy has allowed increased spending of oil revenues as share of mainland GDP. The new global norm of low interest rates and high equity valuations also suggest likely returns to GPFG assets to be considerably lower than 4 percent for the next decade, and we note that the Mork Commission reached a similar conclusion. In this regard, the fiscal rule’s 4 percent target is no longer appropriate as operational guidance for fiscal policy, and a target of about 2.5-3 percent of GPFG assets would be needed to conserve oil revenue to address long-run fiscal challenges even if the equity allocation of the GPFG is increased. A revised rule should also ensure non-positive fiscal impulse when the economy is at or above capacity, thereby relieving so-called “Dutch disease” pressures.

Structural Reform

Continued structural reforms are also crucial to a successful transition to a new growth model. Low wage growth and the depreciation of the krone during 2013-15 has improved cost competitiveness, but productivity growth remains sluggish and Norway’s unit labor costs are still well above those of peer countries. In this regard, continued wage restraint on the part of social partners is important, as are reforms to reinvigorate productivity growth in the areas identified by the Productivity Commission, including education, research and innovation, mobilization of the workforce, and public sector efficiency. Such reforms would help restore Norway’s competitiveness and foster non-oil tradable sectors. More generally, further efforts are needed to increase efficiency in the labor market. While private sector pension reform has been effective in raising labor force participation among the elderly, it will be critical to complete similar reforms to the public sector retirement system and to tighten sickness and disability benefits. Additionally, relaxing constraints on new property construction, particularly in main urban areas that are less affected by low oil prices, could boost the supply of housing, thereby taking some of the pressure off elevated housing prices and facilitating labor relocation between regions.

Financial Sector Policy

The banking system is well capitalized and profitable, but important structural vulnerabilities remain. The 2015 FSAP update identified elevated household debt, overvalued house prices, and banks’ heavy reliance on external wholesale funding as the main sources of financial stability risks. Despite the housing sector-specific measures implemented so far, both house prices and household debt have been growing considerably faster than household disposable income, and have accelerated recently at an unsustainable rate, particularly in the Oslo area. Further targeted measures to contain systemic risks arising from the housing sector are thus called for, such as higher mortgage risk weights, tighter loan-to-value limits, and the introduction of debt-to-income (DTI) or debt-service-to-income ratio limits. In this regard, the mission strongly supports the recent proposals by the FSA and the Norges Bank to make permanent and tighten the current regulation on requirements for new residential mortgage loans, including reducing the speed limit and introducing a DTI ratio. The authorities should also continue to enhance stress tests for banks to take account of funding risks.

Regional cooperation on financial stability issues should be strengthened given the need to calibrate macroprudential measures to economic conditions of host countries. This is particularly important in view of the intended conversion of Nordea Bank Norge from a subsidiary into a branch. Enhanced supervisory cooperation among the Nordic finance ministries, central banks, and financial supervisors, which safeguards host country treatment and information exchange, would better ensure financial stability and a more level playing field for banks.

The mission is grateful to the Norwegian authorities and other counterparts for their warm hospitality and for the candid and high-quality discussions.

(IMF Communications Department)

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Asylum

UN Asks Norway Not to Send Refugees Back to Somalia

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

unhcrJust a few weeks after the Norwegian authorities said they will send refugees back to Somalia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged Norway to change its mind.

In October, Immigration Minister Sylvi Listhaug said that the Norwegian government had concluded that the situation in Somalia has settled down and that 1,600 Somali refugees living in Norway should have their refugee status revoked.

In a letter dated November 7th, but first reported on Wednesday night, the UNHCR wrote to the Norwegian government and said that the security situation in Mogadishu was far too unstable to warrant Norway’s decision. Just two days before the letter was sent, a car bomb attack near the Somali parliament building in Mogadishu killed at least two police officers, with some reports indicating that up to 20 people were killed.

Norwegian authorities believe the situation in Mogadishu is safe and that the practise of sending people back is in line with the UN Refugee Convention. The UNHCR, however, said there is continued violence and conflict in the Somali capital, causing high levels of insecurity.

The UNHCR’s letter pointed out that there is a difference between those who choose to go back voluntarily and sending people back by force.

(allafrica)

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Asia and NorwayTaiwan and Norway

Aslaug Holm´s movie Brothers awarded around the globe.

by Geir Yeh Fotland
written by Geir Yeh Fotland

Aslaug Holm´s movie Brothers awarded around the globe.
Report from Taiwan.
img_8410-2Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival this year chose Aslaug Holm’s film Brothers as the best international film. 

A week earlier the festival Hot Docs in Canada named “Brothers” for best international documentary. Last year the film was  honored in Haugesund, Norway, with Amanda for Best Director. In August Brothers was the opening film at EBS International Documentary Festival in Seoul, South Korea. In September it was shown at the Nordic Panorama Film Festival in Malmo, Sweden, and received “Honorable Mention” which in practice means 2nd place in competition with the 14 best Nordic documentary films in this year’s competition program. In October the film won Le Prix Trajectoires in France.

Aslaug Holm studied Film and Television at Volda District School in the years 1987 – 89. She married her classmate Tore Buvarp. Together with a 3rd classmate they started in 1992 Fenris Film, a name taken from Norse mythology. Fenris means wolf.

Aslaug Holm was photograph for the 2001 film Cool & Crazy (“Heftig og Begeistret” in Norwegian), a documentary about the Berlevaag Male Choir. In 2006 she was both director and photographer for the movie Oljeberget about Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and his journey through a prosperous Norway. Both films had much coverage in media.

Aslaug and Tore got two sons, Markus and Lukas, named as the Biblical two best documentary writers Mark and Luke. Filming of the brothers began in 2007 with Lukas (5) starting primary school together with his brother Markus (8). The recordings were made at home in Sagene in Oslo and on holidays at her childhood house in Smola on the North West coast of Norway. It shows great scenes of different seasons in Oslo and from summers at the coast. Nordic Panorama writes:  – Over the course of eight years Holm has documented their transition from childhood to youth, resulting in a unique film which presents the boys’ dreams and expectations with both tenderness and an adult eye, and follows the brothers all the way into the wildness of their teenage years.

The father gets the oldest son interested in football. Lukas is not as enthusiastic. But Markus lets Lukas make some goals and brag about his skills. Then Lukas starts enjoying football as well.

Over the past two years she had to edit 450 hours of recording down to 106 minutes. So in all, she spent 10 years on the film. The first show in Norway was in March last year and was shown in cinemas until October. Now you get the movie on DVD for Europe.

This year Aslaug Holm was present with her film Brothers at the Taiwan
International Documentary Film Festival, a festival that started in 1998. This year’s festival was the 10th in the series and was held in May with 70 foreign participants from 23 countries including Norway.

img_8616-3Pro China demonstration in Taipei at Film Festival posters shows Taiwan has freedom of speech.

I saw a few products Chinese film students have made in China where they interviewed people who had experienced the great famine from 1959 to 1960 and the Cultural Revolution of 1966. No one dared complain because it could be perceived as criticism of Mao Tse-tung who then reigned. People interviewed ment the victims did´t deserve any memorial, they were no heroes such as those who fought against Japan. True documentary films may be banned in China. People of Taiwan therefor feels it is a disgrace when Norwegian authorities call Taiwan a province of China. Outside next to posters of the film festival, as to show the political freedom in Taiwan and as also a protest against Taiwan’s lack of censorship of documentaries, someone was demonstrating for union with China.

Each film was shown twice. Peter Watkins from England made a film in 1974 about Edvard Munch. It was shown twice to full sets halls, all tickets sold out. The festival has unfortunately contract to show movies only twice even if a film could fill up the showroom several times. Only the winning film was screened a 3rd time.
The film Brothers created at first display great interest. “This wins,” said Morton John Chen when he came out of the cinema. He had bought tickets for ten different movies. The jury said Brothers was made with warmth, humor, good observation and reflection and assigned the film the Grand Prize as best foreign film.

img_8634-2San-San Liu (to the left in the photo) was at the first screening and decided to see the second. When the film won the main prize, she invited family and friends to see the additional performance with her.


While in Taiwan, Aslaug Holm had a sightseeing at the National Parliament, in Taiwan called Legislative Yuan. She found it interesting to visit the office of Kuomintang (KMT), the eldest political party in Asia, founded in 1911. Now in 2016 KMT lost its power over this parliament  for the first time since Taiwan was taken over by Republic of China in 1945. 

A cousin  from her neighbour house in Smola has his girlfriend from Tainan in South Taiwan. She told me the United Daily News had an article about Ms. Holm June 29 this year. Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival could have been more documented in the local media.

The Brothers has been shown on NRK1, the Norwegian Broadcasting. In Taiwan Brothers was shown at cinemas on July 1.  It might come on DVD with Chinese subtitles. The Taiwan European Film Festival (TEFF) offers every year since 2005 over 450 screenings in more than 30 locations all around Taiwan (English and Chinese subtitles, free of charge entrance). Infine Art and Culture Exchange (INFINE) is one of the orginisers and hopes to include a Norwegian film at their festival next year.

Mr. Geir Yeh Fotland – Taiwan National Correspondent NORWAY NEWS.com
Email: – geiryeh@gmail.com, or news@norwaynews.com

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Science

First unmanned, fully-automated vessel for launch in 2018

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

boat-1062x598To safeguard lives and protect people from the hazards from the sea environment, United-Kingdom based, Automated Ships Limited, and Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to build the world’s first unmanned and fully-automated vessel for offshore operations.

The historic project is expected to take off in January 2017, when Automated Ships will contract the vessel tagged ‘Hrönn’, which will be designed and built in Norway in cooperation with KONGSBERG. The vessel is expected to begin operations in 2018.

Sea trials will take place in Norway’s newly designated automated vessel test bed in the Trondheim fjord, and will be conducted under the auspices of DNV GL and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA). The Hrönn will ultimately be classed and flagged, respectively.

Hrönn will initially operate and function primarily as a remotely piloted ship, in Man-in-the-Loop Control mode, but will transition to fully automated, and ultimately autonomous operations as the control algorithms are developed concurrently during remotely piloted operations.

Automated Ships will be the primary integrator, project manager and ship-owner of this world’s first fully automated and unmanned ship for commercial use.

The project will leverage existing technology to develop a robust, flexible and low-cost ship to become the market leader and offer not only a capable work-boat but provide an unparalleled research and development asset for the furtherance of this emerging industry sector.

Currently, only small unmanned boats are being utilised for near shore operations but there are no technical limitations to constructing large, unmanned and automated systems. The only impediments are regulatory, but with the participation of DNV GL and the NMA, and Norwegian and UK companies and institutions, it will be possible to rapidly and at low-cost be the first to market with a full-size unmanned ship.

Hrönn is a light-duty, offshore utility ship servicing the offshore energy, scientific/hydrographic and offshore fish-farming industries. Its intended uses include but are not limited to: Survey, ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) and AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) Launch & Recovery, light intermodal cargo delivery and delivery to offshore installations, and open-water fish farm support.

The vessel can also be utilised as a standby vessel, able to provide firefighting support to an offshore platform working in cooperation with manned vessels.

Automated Ships is currently in discussion with several end-users that will act as early-adopters and to establish a base-rate for operations and secure contracts for Hrönn offshore, in the near future.

The advantages of unmanned ships are manifold, but primarily centre on the safe guarding of life and reduction in the cost of production and operations; removing people from the hazardous environment of at-sea operations and re-employing them on-shore to monitor and operate robotic vessels remotely, along with the significantly decreased cost in constructing ships, will revolutionise the marine industry.

Managing Director of Automated Ships Ltd. Brett A. Phaneuf, said “the company will be at the forefront of that revolution, along with its many Norwegian partners,”

Head of DNV GL Maritime Research, Bjørn Johan Vartdal, said: “Research, innovation and technology development are at the core of DNV GL’s business development philosophy. In general, we are widely involved in the qualification of new shipping technology. Increased automation combined with remote monitoring and control is an inevitable trend and has the potential to create safer and more efficient transport and operations at sea. This may lead to unmanned ships, as in this case, and the technologies involved also have the potential to improve the safety and efficiency of manned ships in the form of increased decision support and operational assistance. The contract that has been announced today is a brave initiative and a major step towards the realisation of these technologies, and we look forward to moving technology frontiers together with all those involved,”.

(Guardian)

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Diplomatic relations

46th meeting of the European Economic Area Council

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

20160616Vidar-Helgesen21. The forty-sixth meeting of the EEA Council took place in Brussels on 15 November 2016 under the Presidency of Ms Elisabeth Vik Aspaker, Minister of EEA and EU Affairs of Norway. The meeting was attended by Ms Aurelia Frick, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, Mr Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, and Mr Lukas Parizek, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as by members of the Council of the European Union and representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service.

2. The EEA Council noted that, within the framework of the political dialogue, the Ministers would discuss Western Balkans, Ukraine/Russia, Migration, and the EU global strategy on Foreign and Security Policy. An orientation debate was held on the digital single market, including the collaborative economy.

3. The EEA Council acknowledged the key role played by the EEA Agreement for more than 20 years in advancing economic relations and internal market integration between the EU and the EEA EFTA States. The EEA Council highlighted that the Agreement had been robust and capable of adapting to changes in EU treaties and EU enlargements. The EEA Council recognised that increased efforts towards enhancing competitiveness would be key for jobs and growth in Europe.

4. The EEA Council emphasised the importance of a well-functioning Single Market as a driver in boosting economic growth and creating new jobs throughout Europe, and welcomed the steps already taken to implement the proposals contained in the strategies for a digital single market and for upgrading the Single Market, both launched in 2015, with a view to exploiting in full its untapped growth and productivity potential. The EEA Council agreed that a holistic approach is required to tackle some of the main challenges facing the Single Market, and stressed the importance of close involvement of the EEA EFTA States in the further design and development of single market policies and initiatives.

5. The EEA Council welcomed the adoption of the EEA Joint Committee decisions of the first package of legal acts related to the EU regulations on the European supervisory authorities in the area of financial services. The EEA Council also highlighted the high importance of promptly incorporating and applying the other outstanding legislation in the field of financial services as soon as possible in order to ensure a level playing field throughout the EEA in this important sector.

6. Noting the progress report of the EEA Joint Committee, the EEA Council expressed its appreciation for the work of the Joint Committee in ensuring the continued successful operation and good functioning of the EEA Agreement.

7. The EEA Council emphasised the importance of solidarity among the countries of Europe to overcome social and economic challenges. In particular, the EEA Council expressed concern regarding the continued high level of youth unemployment in some EEA member states.

8. The EEA Council commended the positive contribution of the EEA and Norway financial mechanism 2009-2014 and of their predecessors in reducing economic and social disparities throughout the EEA and recognised the still existing need to alleviate social and economic disparities in the EEA.

9. The EEA Council welcomed the ratification of the agreement on an EEA financial mechanism 2014-2021 by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and of the agreement between Norway and the EU on a Norwegian financial mechanism for the 2014-2021 period by Norway. The EEA Council further welcomed the provisional application of the agreement on a Norwegian financial mechanism for the 2014-2021 period as of 1 July 2016 and of the agreement on an EEA financial mechanism 2014-2021 as of 1 August 2016.

10. The EEA Council also welcomed the provisional application of the Protocol on trade in fish and fisheries products between Iceland and the EU as of 1 August 2016 and of the Protocol on trade in fish and fisheries products between Norway and the EU as of 1 September 2016.

11. Emphasising the fact that greater knowledge of the EEA Agreement throughout the EEA is in the interest of all contracting parties, the EEA Council urged them to ensure that information on the EEA Agreement is made readily and easily available.

12. The EEA Council noted that free movement of capital is a fundamental internal market freedom and an integral part of the EEA acquis and acknowledged that restrictions can be implemented only temporarily on the basis of the provisions of article 43 of the EEA Agreement. The EEA Council welcomed the progress of the comprehensive plan of the Icelandic government for removal of capital controls without threatening economic and financial stability of the country.

13. The EEA Council placed great importance on continued close cooperation between the EU and the EEA EFTA States in environment, energy and climate change polices, particularly in light of the 2030 framework for climate and energy and the framework strategy for a resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy. The close cooperation should also continue in particular in the areas of internal energy market, energy security, emissions trading, promotion of competitive, climate resilient, safe and sustainable low carbon energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), as well as other environmental issues such as waste, chemicals, water resource management and industrial pollution.

14. The EEA Council recalled the historic global and legally-binding climate agreement reached in Paris in December 2015 and welcomed its entry into force on 4 November 2016, triggered by the EU ratification. The EEA Council welcomed the efforts undertaken by both EU member states and EEA EFTA States to ensure speedy completion of their national ratification procedures and encouraged other countries to ratify as soon as possible.

15. The EEA Council welcomed the broad support the joint initiative on European standardisation had achieved and the efforts the EU side had initiated with this successful collaborative co-regulation modernising the European standardisation system. The EEA Council also acknowledged that the involvement and contribution from EFTA in this field is an illustration of efficient EU-EFTA cooperation supporting a homogenous EEA.

16. The EEA Council welcomed the ongoing efforts made to both reduce the number of EEA-relevant EU acts awaiting incorporation into the EEA Agreement and to accelerate the incorporation process. While commending all the steps undertaken in the course of the last years, the EEA Council noted that the number of acts awaiting incorporation was still too high. The EEA Council called for continued work in order to significantly and durably reduce the current backlog and thereby ensure legal certainty and homogeneity in the EEA. It urged all parties to engage constructively to find solutions to pending difficult issues.

17. With regard to the third package for the internal energy market, the EEA Council welcomed progress made in recent months with regard to removing the remaining obstacles towards its incorporation in the EEA Agreement, notably as concerns the EEA EFTA participation in the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), and underlined the importance of swiftly finalising this work in order to establish a fully functional internal market for energy.

18. The EEA Council welcomed progress made in recent months with regard to the 2009 regulatory framework for electronic communications (including the regulation on the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications – BEREC), and the regulation on medicinal products for paediatric use.

19. The EEA Council noted that progress was still needed on a number of important outstanding issues and looked forward to reaching a conclusion as soon as possible, in particular regarding the third postal directive, the EU legal acts in the area of organic production, as well as in the area of common rules and standards for ship inspection and survey organisations.

20. The EEA Council noted that there was a number of Joint Committee decisions, for which the six-month deadline provided for in the EEA Agreement with regard to constitutional clearance had been exceeded. It encouraged the EEA EFTA States to strengthen their efforts to resolve the pending cases as soon as possible and to avoid such delays in the future.

21. The EEA Council acknowledged the significance of the negotiations on an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. The EEA Council welcomed the continuous exchange of information between the European Commission and the EEA EFTA States, initiated in the EEA Joint Committee in December 2014. Bearing in mind inter alia Protocol 12 to the EEA Agreement, the EEA Council encouraged a continuation of this exchange of information.

22. The EEA Council acknowledged that the contracting parties, pursuant to article 19 of the EEA Agreement, had undertaken to continue their efforts with a view to achieving the progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade. The EEA Council looked forward to the signing of the agreements on the further liberalisation of agricultural trade and on the protection of geographical indications between the EU and Iceland, which were initialled on 17 September 2015, in the near future. The EEA Council noted the suspension of the negotiations between the EU and Norway on protection of geographical indications.

23. The EEA Council welcomed the progress made in the negotiations between the EU and Norway on further liberalisation of agricultural trade within the framework of article 19 launched in February 2015 and encouraged the parties to actively continue their efforts for further progress in the negotiations.

24. The EEA Council looked forward to the adoption of the Joint Committee decision related to the agreement on the further liberalisation of trade in processed agricultural products within the framework of article 2(2) and article 6 of Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement between Iceland and the EU, which was concluded on 17 September 2015, in the near future.

25. The EEA Council encouraged the contracting parties to continue the dialogue on the review of the trade regime for processed agricultural products within the framework of article 2(2) and article 6 of Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement in order to further promote trade in this area.

26. Acknowledging the contribution made by EU programmes to building a more competitive, innovative and social Europe, the EEA Council welcomed the participation of the EEA EFTA States in EEA-relevant programmes to which they contribute financially.

27. The EEA Council recognised the active participation and full integration of the EEA EFTA States in the European research area and the successful association of Norway and Iceland in Horizon 2020, the EU’s flagship programme for research and innovation. The EEA Council will continue to place high importance to the integration and policy alignment of EEA EFTA States with the EU in the area of research and innovation.

28. The EEA Council underlined the importance of continuing the practice of inviting officials from the EEA EFTA States to political dialogues held at the level of the relevant EU Council working parties.

29. The EEA Council underlined the importance of inviting EEA EFTA Ministers to informal EU ministerial meetings and ministerial conferences relevant to EEA EFTA participation in the Internal Market, and expressed its appreciation to the current Slovak and incoming Maltese Presidencies for the continuation of this practice.

30. The EEA Council recognised the positive contributions made by the EEA EFTA States to the decision-shaping process of EEA-relevant EU legislation and programmes through their participation in the relevant committees, expert groups, studies and agencies, as well as through the submission of EEA EFTA comments.

(EU)

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Farming

Norway-Mongolia Friendship business forum

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

700Mongolian MP, L.Munkhbaatar MP has attended a business forum of the Norway-Mongolia Friendship Community, which has taken place in Oslo.

The business forum aimed at boosting business cooperation and drawing more investment to Mongolia through various projects.

He presented some information on the current political, social and economic situation and foreign policy of Mongolia.

_700The business forum was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Kingdom of Norway Z.Altai, Minister-Counsellor E.Bulgan, Economic Advisor B.Battsetseg and the head of the Norway-Mongolia Friendship Community Rolf Amundsen.

He went to Kautokeino village of Norway at the invitation of the Association of World Reindeer herders.

During the visit, the sides signed a Memorandum of 0Understanding on Cooperation in improving livelihoods of reindeer herders and providing more opportunities to children from the reindeer herding families to study with scholarships in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.

The students are able to choose various fields for majoring such as reindeer farming, biological and traditional knowledge, food culture, linguistics and English language studies. Also, in accordance with the MoU, the sides decided to launch a TV reality show featuring the lives and businesses of reindeer herding communities.

The authorities agreed to establish sisterhood ties between Kautokieno village and Tsagaannuur soum of Khuvsgul province, and to provide assistance in increasing the population of reindeers in Mongolia by localizing herds of reindeers from Siberia.

In Kautokeino, more than 3,000 “sami” locals are living and herding some 700 thousand reindeers.

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Defence

EU extends internal border controls

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

281a2dfcecb292e49ccde53c21df9d35-800xEU states backed extending internal border checks for three months in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden.
The move was formally approved on Friday (11 November) by the EU council, representing member states.

The European Commission had recommended the extension in late October, following demands from the respective capitals over broader fears that refugees and asylum seekers in Italy and Greece may attempt to settle in the countries.
The closed border along the Western Balkan route earlier this year and a migrant swap deal with Turkey has seen migratory flows into greater Europe drop. Italy has also imposed stiff border checks along the Brenner Pass with Austria, a major transit route into Germany.

Fears prevail, as all five states seek to maintain controls initially imposed in May.

Those checks were allowed to remain in place for six months as a response to “a serious threat and to safeguard public policy and internal security.”

Facts and figures

But, of the some 3 million people screened by Swedish authorities from June until the end of August only 640 were refused entry.

Norway refused only 14 people between May and September.

Austria stopped entry of 233 between May and August and Germany over 3,000 from mid-May until the end of July.

Denmark said it had refused entry of just over 1,000 people from May until September, out of some 1 million people screened.

The frequency of the checks, location, and time varies.

Despite the relative low refusal rates, the commission has described the internal border checks as proportionate.

All five are part of the Schengen border-free zone, which spans 26 countries throughout Europe.

It means Austria will continue to impose checks along its border with Hungary and Germany with Austria.

Denmark will carry out land border and ferry port checks with Germany, while Sweden will maintain checks at Oresund bridge with Denmark, and Norway will oversee ferry connections to Denmark, Germany, and Sweden.

The commission had previously said such internal controls would be removed before the end of the year to restore “a normally functioning Schengen.”

But Robert Kalinak, the Slovak interior minister speaking on behalf of his country’s EU presidency, now says the controls will be lifted when possible.

“Although we are not there yet, the situation is improving. The prolongation will, therefore, be for three months only, and there will be more intensive reporting obligations compared to the previous period,” he said in a statement.

(euobserver)

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Sports

Successful European Endurance Conference held in Oslo

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

1280278_g08_w01An illustrious line-up gathered in Oslo for the European Endurance Conference from 4-6 November, as part of the European Athletics Coaching Summit Series.

The conference was organised by the Norwegian Athletics Coaches Association in cooperation with the Norwegian Athletics Federation. A total of 101 coaches attended the three-day conference, including 52 from overseas representing 19 countries.

The programme included lectures from some of the continent’s leading coaches including Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father and coach of middle distance runners Henrik, Jakob and Filip on his sons’ successes; Johan Kaggestad, the former coach of distance running greats Grete Waitz and Ingrid Kristiansen on the makings of world-class distance runners; Zbigniew Krol, the coach of two-time European champion and world silver medallist Adam Kszczot on training for the 800m; and 1996 Olympic 800m champion Vebjorn Rodal and his coach Oyvind Sandbakk on the success factors in the two-lap event.

Other highlights of the conference included a presentation from Henrik Larsen on the strategies of Kenyan distance runners over the years and how they can be applied to European athletes while Honore Hoedt, the former coach of world and European indoor 1500m champion Sifan Hassan, led a practical demonstration on running drills and technique in distance running.

The Norwegian Athletics Coaches Association and the Norwegian Athletics Federation would like to thank all participants for taking part in the European Endurance Conference 2016.

The next part of the coaching conference will be the World Javelin Conference which takes place in Kuortane from 17-19 November.

(european-athletics)

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Diplomatic relations

Cross border services debut between Norway and Finland

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

full_area_map-1Avinor and Finavia today launched cross border air traffic services across the border of Finland and Norway, where Kirkenes tower/approach is now providing the services in parts of Finnish airspace.

The arrangement facilitates more efficient and safe flight operations for flights in and outbound Kirkenes Airport in northern Norway serving the interests of airspace users.

This initiative has become possible in the cooperative work within the North European Functional Airspace Block, NEFAB.

The cross border services in Kirkenes TMA are another concrete result of the NEFAB development programme that is investigating airspace and service improvements for the benefit of the airlines and travellers. Cross border services are an essential element in the NEFAB programme to achieve more optimised and efficient airspace.

“I am very satisfied that the NEFAB cooperation is supporting development of efficient airspace and services. This initiative is confirming that joint efforts in NEFAB are benefiting our customers. Avinor is looking forward to develop the cross border services further, together with our partners,” said Anders Kirsebom, CEO Avinor Air Navigation Services.

“The cross border services with Norway are a good proof of how we are working in NEFAB towards building more efficient airspace structures for the benefit our customers, and are one among many other initiatives. Finavia has worked close with Avinor in the past years, as the two countries have exchanged civilian radar data, thus reducing the investment needs of both companies,” said Raine Luojus, CEO Finavia.

The service agreement on cross border services in Kirkenes TMA was signed between both parties earlier this autumn.

The NEFAB Programme is the cooperation between air navigation service providers Avinor (Norway), EANS (Estonia), Finavia (Finland) and LGS (Latvia). The cooperation is seeking opportunities to improve the cost efficiency of airspace and services in NEFAB for the benefit of airspace users. Programme’s recent achievements are the implementation of Free Route Airspace (FRA) within all NEFAB States and a seamless FRA interface with Danish – Swedish Functional Airspace Block partners.

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Defence

UK and Norway agree new cooperation on Maritime Patrol Aircraft

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan
Besøk av Britisk Forsvarminister til Forsvarets operative hovedkvarter. / Visit from UK Secretary of State for Defence to the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.

Besøk av Britisk Forsvarminister til Forsvarets operative hovedkvarter. / Visit from UK Secretary of State for Defence to the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.

The UK and Norway stepped up their defence relationship today, as Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced new cooperation on Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and exercises.

Sir Michael, who visited Norway’s top military headquarters, close to the Arctic Circle on Thursday, announced that the UK and Norway would work closer on Maritime Patrol Aircraft cooperation, including in reducing costs and increasing operational effectiveness.

The UK announced that it would procure nine Boeing P8 MPA in last year’s Strategic Defence and Security Review. The new capability, which will be based in Scotland, will allow for enhanced situational awareness in key areas such as the North Atlantic, and will also further increase the protection of the UK’s nuclear deterrent and our two new aircraft carriers.

Sir Michael also visited Norway’s Bodø Main Air Station, home of two F-16 squadrons and a squadron of Search and Rescue Sea King helicopters, where he signed a new agreement on host nation support for UK exercises in the country, further increasing the UK and Norway’s ability to exercise, train and operate together. Mr Fallon welcomed the fact that British armed forces undertake yearly winter training in Norway, particularly 3 Commando Brigade in Harstad and Evenes and elements of Joint Helicopter Command at Bardufoss.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

Britain needs Maritime Patrol Aircraft to keep watch over the seas. As part of our £178 billion defence equipment programme, we’ve committed to new maritime patrol aircraft that are able to monitor threats to Britain and our armed forces.

By stepping up cooperation with Norway on maritime patrol, we will help keep Britain safer and more secure.

The Defence Secretary arrived in Norway following meetings with the Northern Group countries on Wednesday in Copenhagen, where he reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to European defence. As part of this, the Defence Secretary announced that 5 Battalion The Rifles would lead the UK’s battalion in Estonia next year, part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in the East.

Work on the UK’s MPA programme is progressing well, including the investment on infrastructure in Lossiemouth in Scotland, where the planes will be based. Former armed forces personnel who previously served on UK Nimrod are also re-joining the RAF to help operate the future P-8s. 12 have recently re-joined and more will re-join in the future.

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