‘Transatlantic ties are more important than ever as we navigate today’s security policy landscape. Few countries have more in common than Norway and Canada – geographically, in terms of resources, and in what we believe to be important.

Our countries have shared values and experience that can be valuable in resolving the major global challenges of our time,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

Mr Brende made an official visit to Ottawa today, and met Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion, Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau and Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Bob Nault. He also attended a working meeting with leading foreign policy think tanks.

One of the key topics discussed during the talks was security in the north.

‘Ensuring that the Arctic remains a peaceful region requires greater situational awareness and a stronger presence. At the same time, it is in our interest to maintain good relations with Russia in the north and continue our practical cooperation in areas such as nuclear safety, search and rescue and fisheries. I therefore welcome Canada’s signals of willingness to resume the dialogue with Russia on Arctic issues,’ said Mr Brende.

Norway and Canada also have a common approach to a number of international issues. Action to achieve the UN sustainable development goals is high on the agenda in both countries. Like Norway, Canada has stepped up its contribution to training local forces in the fight against ISIL. Both our two countries also provide substantial humanitarian aid in Syria and the neighbouring region.

‘Promoting development in fragile states requires an integrated, long-term approach that uses a combination of political and military tools. Norway and Canada have a similar line of thinking in this field,’ said Mr Brende.

Foreign Minister Brende also took the opportunity to express his sympathy in connection with the massive wildfires in Alberta. More than 90 000 people have been evacuated so far, and Canada’s total oil production has been cut by a quarter.
‘I am impressed by the way the Canadian authorities have dealt with the difficult situation and by the determination and resilience ordinary Canadians are showing,’ said Mr Brende.

‘We were horrified and deeply saddened to receive the news of Wednesday’s terrorist attacks in Baghdad. I would like to convey my deepest condolences to the Iraqi people, who are so often the target of terrorist attacks. The attacks are a clear demonstration of ISIL’s contempt for human life and norms of human decency,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

‘We were horrified and deeply saddened to receive the news of Wednesday’s terrorist attacks in Baghdad. I would like to convey my deepest condolences to the Iraqi people, who are so often the target of terrorist attacks. The attacks are a clear demonstration of ISIL’s contempt for human life and norms of human decency,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

Yesterday morning, reports emerged of an attack on a market in the Shia-dominated Sadr City district of Baghdad. 64 people are reported to have been killed and 87 injured in this attack alone, among them many women and children. A further two attacks took place in other parts of Baghdad later in the day. In total, at least 94 people are reported to have been killed in yesterday’s three attacks at separate locations in Baghdad, and at least 150 people have been injured.

These are the deadliest attacks on the Iraqi capital so far this year, and it is feared that the death toll will continue to rise. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
‘Sadly we often hear reports from Iraq about terrorist attacks claiming many lives, but the scale of yesterday’s attacks was particularly horrifying. ISIL must be fought both in Syria and Iraq,’ Mr Brende said.

The security situation in Baghdad is volatile and there have been several terrorist attacks in Baghdad this year. Moreover, parts of Iraq are under ISIL’s control.

Norway is participating actively in the international coalition to counter ISIL, and is helping to train Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga in Northern Iraq. Furthermore, the Government has recently decided to step up Norway’s efforts by increasing the Norwegian contribution to the international coalition against ISIL, both by providing a new military contribution and by strengthening civilian efforts.

US President Warns Russia against Military Build-up in Northern Europe

His fellow Democrats may be arguing about whether to hold up places like Denmark and Norway as liberal utopias, but President Barack Obama isn’t hesitating.

Apparently well past concerns about being branded a socialist, Obama on Friday celebrated five Nordic nations as models of reliability, equality, generosity, responsibility, even personal happiness.

As he welcomed a group of Nordic leaders to the White House, he owned up to thinking perhaps the small, havens of social liberalism should take the reins every now and then.

He joked: “Why don’t we just put all these small countries in charge for a while.”

The remarks opened a White House summit with the leaders of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark. Obama and the leaders are due to discuss a slate of issues weighing heavily on the region — including concerns about Russian aggression, long-term plans for managing the flow of refugees in Europe and contributions to the campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

The White House is casting the rare multilateral summit as something of a diplomatic walk in the park compared to recent, more contentious sit-downs in the Middle East, or even Europe. Where Obama often is tasked with nudging reluctant partners to contribute more to international partnerships, the Nordic leaders, he said, are willing partners and ready to “punch above their weight.”

Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are part of the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group. Denmark and Norway each have contributed nearly as many troops on the ground in Iraq as Germany.

That campaign will be a large part of the conversation Friday. White House official have said the leaders planned to discuss additional contributions to the fight, as well as funding for the struggling Iraqi government.

Despite their deep-rooted socialist traditions, four of the five Nordics are currently run by center-right governments, and Obama noted their commitment to free trade and free markets.

The American leader, however, avoided any in-depth remarks on the migrant crisis plaguing Europe, which has severely tested the limits of traditional refugee havens Denmark and Sweden.

Sweden, a nation of almost 10 million people, tightened its borders after receiving 160,000 asylum requests last year alone. In the U.S., that would equate to some 5 million prospective immigrants, many from war-ravaged Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. is currently struggling to meet a target of 10,000 Syrian refugees this year.

Charles Kupchan, director for European affairs at the National Security Council, said the leaders would likely discuss a long-term and “systematic” plan for managing migrant flows in Europe.

The meeting comes during a U.S. political season in which the Nordic countries have made surprising cameos. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have publicly debated whether Denmark, Sweden and Norway should be a model for the U.S. policy on worker’s rights and paid family leave. Clinton notably dismissed the notion in a debate last year, declaring “We are not Denmark.”

Republicans’ standard bearer, Donald Trump, has suggested the U.S. should be detangling itself from the sort of international partnerships that Obama and Nordic allies readily embrace.

Obama’s position in the debate was unequivocal.

“The world would be more secure and more prosperous if we just had more partners like our Nordic partners,” Obama said, as he stood with the lineup of leaders, including Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, the new prime minister of Iceland; Lars Loekke Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark; Stefan Lofven, prime minister of Sweden; Erna Solberg, prime minister of Norway; and President Sauli Niinisto of Finland.

Making light with his five guests, Obama referenced a Nordic tour of clichés. He noted how Americans of Nordic descent took with them their wooly sweaters and the lye-cured fish Lutefisk, while children across the United States read Hans Christian Andersen’s tales and Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking, summarizing Nordic-U.S. interaction from the explorations of Leif Erikson to the pop music of Abba.

True to form, the Nordics agreed to share the role of speaker throughout the day of festivities.

Following Obama in the White House’s Grand Foyer, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto stressed that the region as a whole is in some ways a “superpower.” It would amount to the 12th biggest economy, and one that leads on pressing problems like climate change, which he called “the most existential threat in the world today.”

As the only woman leader present, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg thanked first lady Michelle Obama for improving access to girls’ education, an objective she said they shared “as women, as mothers and leaders.”