Sunday, February 15, 2026
Diplomatic relations

Norway and Cuba agree on exchanging on international issues

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway and Cuba on Friday agreed to continue their bilateral exchange and coordination on international issues, after verifying the good state of relations between the two countries.

Such definitions were made during a virtual meeting between the general director for Multilateral Cooperation at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Merete Fjeld Brattested, and Cuban Interim Chargé d’Affaires Mario Alzugaray.

The two countries were the guarantors of the negotiating table between the Government of Colombia and the then Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) that led to the signing of the peace agreement in November 2016.

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Africa and Norway

African leaders become more receptive to U.S. Military Presence

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The United States is working continuously toward helping with security and prosperity across Africa through military trainings and Exercises by the United States Africa Command, Major General Andrew M.Rohling, Deputy Commanding General of U.S.Army Europe and Africa, said on Thursday.

Below is a full rush transcript of the press conference by Special Briefing via Telephone with Major General Andrew M. Rohling Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

Major General Rohling:  Good afternoon, everyone. I am going to talk just for a few quick minutes about the African Land Forces Summit, the ninth iteration of that exercise that we concluded yesterday, and then I would be, in fact, glad to take most of your questions.

So with the establishment of the United States Army Africa, USARAF, in 2008, the U.S. military leaders, we quickly realized and recognized the importance of establishing relationships with the chiefs of the land forces from our partner nations in Africa.  The United States Army Africa realized the best way to achieve that goal was to conduct a summit for African partners and their chiefs of their land forces.  So the inaugural African Land Forces Summit, or ALFS, A-L-F-S, was held in Washington, D.C., in 2010.  The theme then was building and maintaining strong relationships and was attended by 23 of the land forces of the African continent.  

Since then, the African Land Forces Summit has been held in Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria, Botswana, Ethiopia last year – in fact, it was the last major event we did last year, in February of 2020, before the pandemic struck.  Shortly after that ALFS, the COVID pandemic has then, of course, changed the way we do business throughout the world, including Europe and Africa, as you well know.  Though the pandemic caused challenges, we continue to support our partners.  In coordination with African militaries, we made appropriate adjustments to our exercises and activities for the safety of all our forces to ensure our commitments to our partners endured during the pandemic.

Despite the challenges, we were determined to bring African land forces together once again for ALFS.  So, yesterday, the African Land Forces Summit – our ninth – was an example of our commitment to strengthening relationships with our African counterparts.  We conducted ALFS virtually with land force commanders from over 40 countries.  This year, the summit’s theme was “Maintaining Security in a Degraded Environment.”  We discussed military pandemic responses, the effects of the pandemic on operations, and its effects on training and exercises.  Though we were not able to meet in person this year, I look forward to next year when I’m  hoping and confident we surely will.

We look forward to training with our counterparts through exercises and security cooperation activities in the near future.  In fact, in June the United States Army Southern European Task Force Africa, the unit which I command, will work alongside our partners in North Africa during exercise African Lion 21, an exercise we had to cancel last year, to be held in Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.  This will increase our interoperability with our counterparts and strengthen relationships.  

Question: In the last few years, you have invited participants of 40 countries to ALFS.  Have those kinds of numbers remained consistent in the 2018 to 2021 period, or the last three years?

Major General Rohling:  The short answer is yes, they’ve remained consistent and, in fact, they’ve been increasing.  So last year – or this year, again, well over 40, and all of them, quite frankly, as we went throughout the day, had the opportunity to speak.  So every single country that logged in yesterday was able to talk and presented really interesting information that was helpful for all of the different regional partners of Africa.

Question: It is noticed that many of the deadly jihadist attacks in sub-Saharan Africa, notably Mali, Chad, and Niger, come from the ground.  How can the U.S. and Europe help vulnerable countries from the Horn of Africa build resilience that can counter such deadly terrorist attacks?So maybe you can talk here about how trainings like ALFS, like African Lion can help countries like the journalist mentioned become more resilient toward these terrorist attacks.

Major General Rohling:  The United States Army is engaged across Africa in helping ground forces become better in capability and capacity.  An example of that – I’ll give you two.  First is that what begins next month in African Lion 21, where we have multiple partner nations – in fact, a contingent from Senegal itself participating – and we will conduct a series of ground exercises with – mainly centered in Morocco, but involving Tunisian forces, Senegalese forces, British forces, American forces, and multiple others to work on interoperability, to work on tactics, techniques, and procedures, and to build a coalition of forces that are interoperable on the ground.

And the second thing I would highlight is the introduction of security force assistance teams, or from the Security Force Assistance Brigade, SFAB as an acronym.  Those elements are now operating on the continent.  They are a game-changer which provides persistent presence of United States Army forces paired with ground forces across – and again, in Senegal specifically there’s a security force assistance team that is working with the Senegalese army to improve interoperability, training, and capability, all of which will help African countries defeat the violent extremist threat that is both in the West and in the East.

Question: We know that last year, around October, the merger happened between U.S. Army Europe and Africa.  How has the merger helped to facilitate training on the continent?

Major General Rohling:  We did indeed merge.  So with – a little quick history.  Up until October of last year there was the United States Army in Europe and the United States Army in Africa, two separate commands – the United States Army in Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany; the United States Army Africa located here in Vicenza, Italy.  And in between was an artificial seam between the two United States combatant commands, and that artificial seam ran between the continent of Europe and the continent of Africa.  As we combined the two headquarters on the Army side, where now it’s the United States Army Europe and Africa, with the headquarters in Wiesbaden, we no longer have a seam that – a division, if you will, between the two – between any headquarters.  So what happens in Europe and what happens in Africa, as it is in real life, is interconnected.

So the opportunities that exist now that we are combined is to make sure that our exercises, our forces, and our readiness drivers are – take into effect and take into account what happens both on the European and on the African continent, and we can synergize those activities into a more realistic and more credible training opportunity.  And African Land Forces Summit – or African Lion 21, another great example is we’re using the same enemy scenario that is being exercised in the European exercise DEFENDER 21, which is ongoing now, that will then carry into the scenario we’re using for African Lion 21.  

So, again, just one small example of how the merger has helped us make training more realistic and more opportunities for both sides of the Mediterranean.  

Question: Regarding what U.S. Army Africa and Europe is doing in respect to the security challenges across the continent, can you speak to that about what SETAF specifically is doing regarding many of the security challenges across the continent?

Major General Rohling:  Sure, So tied to your previous question on the merger, SETAF, formerly this headquarters, as you know, was the United States Army Europe – or United States Army Africa; now it’s the United States SETAF, Southern European Task Force Africa – wakes up every morning, as we did before, thinking about maintaining security, prosperity, and stability on the African continent.  

So this headquarters participates in numerous ways to enhance that.  First, as I already discussed, we have introduced security force assistance teams to several countries across the continent that are providing persistent presence with our key partner nations on the continent, and they are training with those armies to help improve their capabilities and capacity.  Second, we’re conducting exercises across Africa, African Lion being but one; we’re conducting multiple medical readiness exercises, we’re conducting IED training, and several other forms of training across the continent to help increase the capacity and capability of many of our partners as well.

And lastly, in exercises or events like yesterday’s African Land Forces Summit, this headquarters brings together the commanders of the land forces across the continent to discuss the tactics, techniques, procedures, lessons learned and opportunities for interoperability amongst the African partners to increase the stability across the continent.  

Question: In Ghana, are you able to share what you define as emerging threats and border security and to promote regional stability in Africa, in West Africa, on your website?  How do you define that?

Major General Rohling:  Sure.  Well, thank you, Ms. Matibe, Pearl.  Thank you again for another question.  So, yes, Ghana – I mean, all you have to do is look at where Ghana sits in the geography to recognize that the northern side of Ghana is in an area where the threats from the Sahel continue to push down and eventually will become if – and can threaten Ghana in several different ways.  And so as we look at that threat, how do we help Ghana prepare itself for violent – the expansion of violent extremist organizations if they were to come into Ghana, and to help make sure that Ghana’s army is capable of dealing with those threats when they arrive?

So that’s really what our efforts in Ghana are.  Our security force assistance team, which will be arriving there soon, will focus on ensuring that Ghana army is capable of dealing with all that when it arrives. 

Question:  The challenges are growing on the African continent, especially in terms of security.  We are talking about a degraded environment.  What very specific measures are planned by the U.S. armed forces to counter this?

Major General Rohling:  Well, thank you, we are, in fact, doing many specific activities, some of which I’ve already mentioned in the past.  So I will again remind you that we’ve done African Land Forces Summit yesterday to help bring together all the commanders of all the 54 countries of Africa to work lessons learned and opportunities.  We’re conducting African Lion 21 beginning on the 7th of June in Morocco, which involves multiple countries across the continent to help interoperability and capacity and capabilities and work partnerships.  We’ve conducted several exercises in the – in terms of medical readiness, IED training.  Outside the Army, the Special Operations Forces are paired with many forces across the country conducting operations.  We have introduced security force assistance teams across the continent that will help increase the training and capability and institutional capacity of our partners.

So these are some of the specific things that we are doing to help increase the security across the continent.  

Question: Now, you’ve stated because of the global pandemic, the U.S. military and many other agencies have had to revert to virtual training.  What is the U.S. military able to do via virtual training and what kind of outcomes do you expect with this change to a virtual style training?  And the other caveat to that is about the partner countries?  How does the U.S. military work with the host country to develop these virtual trainings?

Major General Rohling:  Well, I’ll tie you a little bit to our conversation we had yesterday at the African Land Forces Summit.  And as we were talking with our partner nations about if anybody can help identify anything good that came of the pandemic, and in fact the one – one of the things that came out as a good lesson that we learned of the pandemic is how to conduct virtual activities.  Virtual training is one, virtual engagements for sure, and virtual collaboration being another.  

Your question in regards to virtual training is really a good one.  We have, the United States Army writ large, both in Africa and across the globe, has helped expand our virtual training capabilities at the command post level and a collaborative level to a point where we were not before.  In many cases our previous training for headquarters looked a lot like bringing two or three hundred people under one tent and working an exercise by being physically side by side.  And what we’ve been able to do over the course of the pandemic is decentralize that activity to a point where what used to be side-by-side mission planning is now being done on collaborative tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and in fact, and like we are doing today, where we’re having a press conference in a virtual manner, it’s the same variety of ways that we’ve been able to turn training into the same. 

Make no mistake.  There’s still, for Army forces, a requirement to be physically on the ground and shoot real bullets at targets and do other training.  And we’ve been able to do that as well by taking specific measures to safeguard the troops and the countries we’re training with.  But virtual training has definitely increased through the use of collaborative tools, and I think it’s here to stay. 

Question: A couple of days ago, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, held a digital press conference with us.  And she talked about peace and security in Africa.  And obviously, Tigray, Mozambique, the Sahel, and Sudan were some of the countries that came up during that briefing.  Will there be similar exercises or trainings near or around conflict areas? 

Major General Rohling:  That’s a tough question that borders a little on policy.  And while I cannot necessarily comment on policy specifically, I will say that we are not, in any – in the near term, planning any training events in Ethiopia, in other countries that are having human rights violations, and others, and we’ll take our guidance from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army and AFRICOM on exactly where we’ll train on the continent.  But in the main, I would say that the United States Army’s training events will be in areas that are agreed upon by the correct policy officials in the United States.  

Question:  On SETAF and your growing relationship with Kenya, can you speak a little bit about some of the work that you’re doing there?  And are you doing anything similar in engagements with South Africa’s militaries?  

Major General Rohling:  Thank you for your previous questions and this one.  So Kenya is a strong partner of the United States, and in fact, I personally was just in Kenya a few short months ago and visited their infantry school and their officers school and other areas.  And as you know, they host a fair number of our troops in Manda Bay and other areas in the global fight on the violent extremist organizations, specifically in that region against al-Shabaab.

So the United States and Kenya is increasing its – the United States Army, which I can only speak about, and Kenya are increasing its training opportunities.  We are sending a security force assistance team there; in fact, the advanced elements of that element was just there doing a recon and setting the conditions.  And we will partner with Kenya to do institutional-level training at their infantry school and some other areas.  So real forces on the ground doing training with Kenya as partners in the near future, and I think that’ll be important. 

We’re conducting exercise Justified Accord 21, JA 21.  That’ll happen in July and August of this year, which is a command post exercise, which kind of ties us back to a little of the virtual training we spoke of earlier.  That exercise will happen this summer in Kenya.  And then a large, real full-sized exercise next year in ‘22, also in Kenya, Justified Accord 22, another large-scale command post exercise that happens there. 

With South Africa, I think we are looking for ways to partner with South Africa.  In fact, we’re working to try to get some mil-to-mil visits and others there, and we will work with our Department of State counterparts and the South African military to see what opportunities exist into the future. 

Question:  How exactly does U.S. Army Africa and Europe work with AFRICOM on training and exercises on the continent? 

Major General Rohling:  Thank you for your question.  we work with AFRICOM’s exercise section, J7 exercises if you want to talk staff sections.  But they have an exercise directorate.  We work hand in hand with that exercise directorate.  In perfect times, we combine our exercises with the exercises that the United States Air Force Africa, the United States Navy Africa, all want to conduct, and we can make an exercise that is multi-component and multi-country to really maximize the training values for all involved. 

African Lion 21 is a great example of that, where there is a Navy component, there is an Air Force component, there is a Marine component, there’s a Special Operations component, all part of African Lion 21, of which my headquarters, which is an Army headquarters, will overall provide command and control, but really tied with AFRICOM to make that exercise beneficial for all partners, not just U.S. military partners but our African partners across the continent. 

Question: How does the U.S. military or SETAF define success before, during, and after the summit or after the training?

Major General Rohling:  Well, great.  So the first thing we do when we – before we plan an exercise or, as of yesterday, the African Land Forces Summit, is lay out what the terminal objectives are.  What exactly do we want to get out of it?  And we try to keep those objectives down to a handful of really key, achievable, and that are quantitative, end state.  So nothing that “I feel like I got trained,” but “I trained 10 people,” so real events. 

And then we judge ourselves over the course of the exercise to see if we accomplished those objectives and then conduct an after-action review when it’s complete to see which ones we completed and which ones we didn’t, and then provide that as a very objective view of whether or not that exercise was completed as we desired, and then how will we get to those objectives that we did not actually accomplish in either following-year exercises or subsequent exercises over the course of time.  So in this case, we have one or two more engagements today to kind of finish off African Land Force Summit 21, and then this evening my team and I will sit down and say, did we accomplish everything that we had hoped to accomplish?  Take an objective look at it, and then adjust activities to make sure that we can meet those into the future. 

Question: Well, that’s all the time that we have for today.  Major General Rohling, do you have any final words, final remarks? 

Major General Rohling:  Well, Thank you for hosting this today, and thanks for those who attended.  It’s always beneficial for us here in the United States Army Africa and SETAF to be able to share with you things that we are doing across the continent, and to hear from you any of your concerns.  So for me, these media hub events are very important to make sure that I can discuss with you one on one, or in this case, in a group, of exactly what we’re doing here. 

And so I think that the United States Army and its components – or and its partners across Africa are doing numerous things to help security and prosperity across Africa.  I hope I was able to highlight some of those for you today and answer any questions you have.  Clearly, a safe, secure, and prosperous Africa is good for the globe.  We’re committed to that.  And I look forward to working with each and every one of you to that end in the future. 

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NATO and Norway

NATO Holds Life-Fire Missile Interception Exercise

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The exercise, which takes place May 15 to June 3, 2021, provides the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to conduct land and sea based defence against simultaneous cruise and ballistic missile threats with coordinated command and control. 

This year, as the command and control node for NATO forces, STRIKFORNATO is conducting the exercise between the ten participating nations as they work together to respond to integrated air and missile defence threats. Serving as the critical link to integrate the complex sea, land, air, and space systems from multiple nations into a task force, the staff is focused on strengthening their ability to share common tactical pictures, share situational awareness, and conduct NATO-level mission planning and engagement coordination.

Below is a full rush transcript of the press conference by Special Briefing via Telephone with Rear Admiral James Morley Deputy Commander, STRIKFORNATO And Captain Jonathan D. Lipps USN Commander, Task Force SIX FOUR.

Rear Admiral Morley:  Good afternoon, everyone.  I hope you can all hear clearly, and if you can’t, please shout in on the net and I’ll do something about it.

I should just set the scene very quickly.  So you have two speakers this afternoon to hopefully give you an insight into what we’re doing off the northwest coast of Scotland and off the northwest coast of Norway over the next couple of weeks.  I’m the deputy commander of naval striking and supporting forces based in Lisbon in Portugal, which is where the exercise is being conducted from and led from as the lead exercise organization.  And at sea, you have a U.S. commodore running the task group at sea embarked on a Spanish frigate.

I should just quickly spell out why we’re doing it and what our role is in this exercise so that it provides a bit of context to whatever questions you’d like to ask next.  So I am in NATO’s primary seagoing battle staff, and in very simple terms, we provide the bridge between nations and the individual contributions nations make to an operation, particularly U.S. high-end capabilities such as carrier strike groups, so that they’re directed efficiently and employed together to act as a single fighting unit on behalf of the alliance.  We also have a key role in delivering maritime ballistic missile defense in the maritime environment for the alliance. 

So the exercise plays very strongly into our key role.  It’s firstly an important ship equipment validation and an opportunity for capability developments.  And we’re in the fourth iteration of these exercises, and the third one that my organization has been leading.  And it’s about making sure that we can work together, that our people and systems are compatible, and it’s multinational.  And at the moment, we have 10 nations contributing and taking part of 13 which routinely provide staff into this headquarters of the 30 nations in NATO.  

And we are pitching them against some of the most challenging threats that we face at sea and on the land around the world.  And lots has been said about multi-domain integration, particularly in more recent Western reviews and defense reviews.  And that’s about joining up the land, air, and sea domains, what they call domains, and increasingly, space and cyber.  And this is a brilliant example of that activity.  So it’s not just about the tactical development of ships and making sure that they work together so they can share a picture, effectively share information.  But it’s also about building a shared understanding of an evolving picture across NATO, so joining up the NATO command structure so that they also are used to looking at a shared view of operations.

Finally, just to conclude in the way in which this event is scheduled and maybe answer a couple of the questions that we’ve been given ahead of time, and that these events are pre-planned.  Because of the nature of them, we have to give – and rightly – have to give considerable advance notice of the activity.  The danger areas alone require that of us, and so that there are no surprises.  Safety is absolutely paramount.  And of course, these are not just test events.  Whilst there’s a scenario which gives a bit of realism to a ship’s crew, we’re getting the maximum benefit from the exercise, from the scenario, in order to give ships and their teams a full rollout.

But these are very, very carefully structured preplanned events.  And we’ve been very, very clear in terms of offering notice of them in order to maintain the real-world safety, which, as I said, is our primary concern. 

Captain Lipps:  Admiral, thank you very much.   As Admiral Morley indicated, I am at sea.  We just concluded a replenishment at sea with elements of the task group, and are moving to conduct a photo exercise with the ships here later this afternoon.  So it is a great day to be underway and to talk to you about Formidable Shield 21.  

This is, as Admiral Morley indicated, the most complex joint and combined integrated air and missile defense exercise ever conducted at sea.  Fifteen ships from 10 nations will track and engage subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic missile targets on and above Scotland’s Hebrides Range.  After a Norwegian sea transit by the force, the campaign will conclude in early June on the Norwegian Andoya Space Defense Range.  Demonstrating unprecedented scalability and integration while embarked on the Spanish Aegis frigate Cristobal Colon, STRIKFORNATO staff will also direct and authorize the United States Marine Corps high-mobility artillery rocket system strike against a target at sea. 

This exercise will bring together 15 ships, almost 50 aircraft, over 3,000 sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines to defeat missile threats from sea level to low-Earth orbit.  

Formidable Shield is the alliance demonstrating unequaled resolve through the execution of the highest of high-end defense across all domains, and we look forward to the prosecution of this exercise.

Question:  This isn’t the first iteration of the exercise, but the most recent one was in 2019 so that’s two years ago.  In the intervening period, there’s been U.S. officials and other military people that expressed concern about Russian missiles in particular, sub-launched missiles and ground-launched.  So does this iteration of the exercise have particular resonance because of that increasing challenge?

Rear Admiral Morley:  I mean, this is not about any particular individual threat environment.  It’s about a general trend and proliferation of both ballistic and conventional missiles, and to say nothing of the proliferation of unmanned air systems, which around the world presents a threat to both our globally deployed maritime units and the global commons upon which we depend, and both our forces ashore and people living in the land environment. 

So this is not about a specific threat.  It’s a general trend and proliferation of a capability quite often fielded by state and non-state actors around the world.  So it’s not directed at any specific environment.

Captain Lipps:  Admiral, absolutely.  And I appreciate the opportunity, because you made reference to Formidable Shield 2019.  One of the, I think, important aspects in the maturation of the campaign is the integration of those threats that Admiral Morley talked about because over time, what we have seen is an adversary, either a peer or a non-state particular adversary, is integrating their capabilities – unmanned aerial systems, cruise missile threats, and  ballistic missile threats, against targets at land and at sea. 

Similarly, the execution of Formidable Shield has evolved to integrate those threats into a serial campaign that concludes with them occurring simultaneously.  And that’s an important aspect of what we’re doing.  It is not targeted against a specific country or threat, but it has evolved over time to incorporate aspects of all high-end threats, to validate the alliance cohesion and reaffirm the deterrence and defense that the alliance nations bring when we come together. 

Question:  How many allied navies are participating in this exercise together?

Captain Lipps:  It’s a great question because there are elements of this that we identified up front.  We have 15 nations from 11 countries that initially are supporting, but also the commander task group integrated air and missile defense has staff representatives from another eight nations as well.  And then when you look at how we are ultimately supporting the larger NATO construct in Lisbon and the national contributions that make up the staff at STRIKFORNATO headquarters, I would hazard that we’re representing almost 30 nations in total of the entire alliance.

Question:  A top Russian navy admiral, Admiral Moiseyev, this week has criticized this exercise, saying it was promoting the expansion of NATO military presence near the Arctic and increasing the potential for a conflict in the Arctic or High North.  What is your response? And the second part of the question:  “The exercise focuses on air and missile defense.  Does this mean that the potential threats from air and missile systems in Northern Europe has increased in recent years?

Rear Admiral Morley:  I think we saw the quote too, and again, it’s not the moment to question or not whether or not that was – the comments that the Russian admiral made were specifically talking about this exercise or not.  I don’t – I think in this case they weren’t specifically talking about Formidable Shield.  But even so, I would just reinforce the point that this is about missile defense.  And without being flippant, the Formidable Shield moniker is accurate.  This is about missile defense, so it’s about protecting both maritime units and the land environment from the missile threat, not about, if you like, offensive missile capabilities.  It’s about defensive missile capability.  

I hope that answers the – both the specifics of that question and the general tone of it. 

Question:  Can you explain which are the main differences and main new missiles exercise that you’re introducing with the fourth edition of this kind of exercise?  Moreover, it’s the first time – I think it’s the first time you’re introducing also exercise, I mean activities, on the Andoya Space Defense Range.  Can you elaborate what are you going to do on that range in the second part of the exercise? 

Rear Admiral Morley:  we’ve been doing one of these exercises every two years.  In fact, I was involved in the first of these in 2015, which was much more directed towards a single event of missile [inaudible], much more of a single-system validation and picture-sharing between a number of allied units who were deployed on that particular occasion.  And what has changed over time is these exercises, for all the benefits that were realized in that first event, these exercises have become more complex.  So we effectively are turning up the wick in terms of their complexity and their simultaneity.  And what I mean by that is we are faced – we are putting ships and their weapons systems through a more exacting test regime where at times we are testing ship companies and weapons systems against a simultaneous cruise missile and ballistic missile threat, which really does make it more realistic and it makes it much more – it’s a bit like running a Formula 1 team. 

Captain Lipps:  So thank you, Admiral. In addition to the complexity, there is also the aspect of distributed geography.  And for the Commander Task Group IA, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, to be able to safely and successfully exercise command and control forces across a distributed region is one of the significant aspects that will enable us to conduct operations on both the Scottish Hebrides Range and then the Norwegian Andoya Space Defense Range.  So that was absolutely, I think, one of the larger lessons that we will be able to demonstrate to the alliance in the setting the conditions for deterrence and defense. 

The additional piece is that allows us to expand across the larger joint force the integrated air and missile defense bastion that is provided by these naval assets as we are dynamically able to position around the sea space that covers the majority of the world.  Over.

Captain Lipps:  So the list of countries is quite long, quite frankly.  And so we have representatives or ships that are supporting the exercise from all countries almost of the NATO Alliance: Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States.  There are also members of my staff and Admiral Morley’s staff that help to represent the rest of the alliance member participating nations.  

With regards to targets, we have supersonic targets; we have subsonic targets; we have manned aircraft that will be flying profiles to include jamming; there are ballistic missile targets that actually leave the Earth’s atmosphere and fly in space for a short period of time before reentering.  So it is a long list of both targets and nations and ships that are participating.  Over.

Rear Admiral Morley:  All I was going to conclude with was to thank the – to thank you and to thank the journalists who have joined us today.  It’s an important opportunity for us to explain what we do in an open and transparent way.  And thank you for the questions.  And of course, you know the contacts to make if you have any follow-ups that you wish to make.  But that’s all I’ve got.  Thank you.

Captain Lipps:  So I think early on I may have gotten a little bit excited and reversed and said 10 ships from 15 nations; it’s actually 15 ships from 10 nations that are supporting the campaign.  But moreover, I would like to express how proud I am of the men and women, the sailors on the deck plate, regardless of the flag that flies from the truck, that represent the alliance that have come together to demonstrate unequaled resolve, unequaled integration and defense.  It is truly a humbling moment at sea to see this force come together in the execution of our mission. 

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Media Freedom

Gaza ceasefire: statement by NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

“The belated ceasefire announcement for Gaza must be observed by both Israel and the Palestinian armed groups so that we can start reaching out to people most in need. We need immediate, full and unimpeded access to Gaza and the tens of thousands that have been left homeless and deprived of their belongings. We need to urgently start repairing the damage, rebuilding from the accumulated rubble, and healing the physical and mental scars inflicted once again on the besieged people. 

United Nations Syria envoy’s Special Adviser Jan Egeland attends a briefing after the meeting of the humanitarian task force on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland February 1, 2018 REUTERS/Denis Balibouse – RC1C904B17A0

“Now that the guns have finally gone silent, let us not mistake this calm for normality. There is no normality to speak of for the two million Gazans under siege, nor for those living in the West Bank under Israeli occupation. Unless the siege on civilians in Gaza is lifted and the wider occupation of Palestinians is brought to an end, the death and destruction that we have seen in the last 10 days are bound to repeat themselves.  

“We need leaders in the US, Europe, the Arab world and elsewhere to push Israel and the Palestinians to work out a way that will end this unsustainable injustice and lead to a path where Israelis and Palestinians can live in equal measures of dignity, freedom, justice and peace.”

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Asia and Norway

Norwegian PM admits Afghan mission has failed

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Norwegian prime minister has admitted that almost two decades of the international military presence in Afghanistan has failed to yield the desired results.

Erna Solberg remarked on Wednesday: “An important lesson from Afghanistan is that the conflict cannot be resolved militarily.”

Sputnik quoted her as acknowledging that almost that the foreign military action could not produce a peaceful settlement.

In Afghanistan, 9,200 Norwegians have served as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission. At least 10 of Norwegian and two civilians have been killed in the country.

She admitted a lot had been spent on humanitarian aid, to Afghanistan, without the campaign’s pledges being honoured.

The premier regretted: “Unfortunately, it (Afghanistan) is far from being a stable state and a peaceful, democratic society,”

If the Taliban were to grab power through violence, she explained, Norway would not be able to support such a regime.

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Diplomatic relations

Norway increases humanitarian aid to Gaza

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

‘I am deeply concerned about the high number of casualties in Gaza, the suffering of the civilian population and the widespread destruction, especially of infrastructure that is vital to ensure a rapid and effective medical response. Humanitarian actors are working to provide access to clean water, health services and food, as well as personal protective equipment for limiting the spread of the coronavirus. This is why Norway is now increasing its humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people by NOK 30 million,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

The funds will be channelled through the UN and Norwegian humanitarian organisations. This increase in humanitarian aid comes in addition to NOK 71 million in humanitarian support provided to the Palestinians so far this year. Norway is also considering further contributions to Gaza through existing agreements with Norwegian humanitarian organisations.

‘In particular, we will help to strengthen the protection of children and provide health care, shelter, food, water and sanitation. Norway urges the parties to take steps to ensure that humanitarian actors have safe and unimpeded access to people in need of help,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide.

There was already a high level of humanitarian need before the conflict flared up. Of Gaza’s total population of approximately two million people, 53 % were living in poverty and more than 1.3 million were experiencing food shortages. The situation has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The people of Gaza are now suffering from an acute shortage of food, fuel and medicines, and there is an urgent need for physical and psychological health care.

‘The military attacks on targets in Gaza are having a severe impact on civilians. We condemn all attacks on civilians. All parties to conflict have an obligation to protect civilians from the effects of hostilities,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide.

Norway is continuing its efforts in the UN Security Council to put pressure on the parties to stop the violence immediately and agree to a ceasefire.

Norway is a major donor to Palestine and provided a total of NOK 881 million in support in 2020, which included humanitarian aid, long-term development aid and Norway’s contribution to UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).

(MFA – Norway)

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Diplomatic relations

US Secretary of State, Norwegian Counterpart Discuss about West Bank and Gaza

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met today in Iceland with Norway’s Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council.

During the meeting, they discussed cooperation between the two sides in the Arctic Council, the United Nations and NATO, efforts made to stop violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, focus on humanitarian challenges in Syria, and peace efforts in Afghanistan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Top diplomats from the United States and Russia are set to square off this week in Iceland for their first face-to-face encounter that comes as ties between the nations have deteriorated sharply in recent months. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)
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Killing

11 children receiving NRC trauma care killed by Israeli air strikes

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Norwegian Refugee Council confirmed today that 11 of over 60 children killed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza over the last week were participating in its psycho-social programme aimed at helping them deal with trauma.

All of the children between 5 and 15 years old were killed in their homes in densely populated areas along with countless other relatives who died or received injuries.

Image processed by CodeCarvings Piczard ### FREE Community Edition ### on 2018-05-23 02:12:05Z | http://piczard.com | http://codecarvings.com

“We are devastated to learn that eight children we were helping with trauma were bombarded while they were at home and thought they were safe,” said NRC’s Secretary General Jan Egeland. ” They are now gone, killed with their families, buried with their dreams and the nightmares that haunted them. We call on Israel to stop this madness: children must be protected. Their homes must not be targets. Schools must not be targets. Spare these children and their families. Stop bombing them now.”

The children NRC assisted included Lina Iyad Sharir, 15, who was killed with both of her parents in their home on 11 May in Gaza City’s Al Manara neighbourhood. Her two-year-old sister Mina sustained third degree burns and remains in critical condition.

Hala Hussein al-Rifi, 13, was killed on the night of 12 May when an air strike hit the Salha residential building in Gaza City’s Tal Al-Hawa neighbourhood. The attack also killed four-year-old Zaid Mohammad Telbani and his mother Rima, who was five months pregnant. Zaid’s sister remains missing and is presumed dead.

Multiple air raids on 16 May in Al Wahda Street in central Gaza City killed six children that NRC worked with, together with several family members. These included Tala Ayman Abu al-Auf, 13, and her 17-year-old brother. Their father, Dr Ayman Abu al-Auf, was the head of internal medicine at Gaza City’s Shifa hospital. He was also killed.

The same attacks also killed Rula Mohammad al-Kawlak, 5, Yara, 9, and Hala, 12 – all sisters – together with their cousin Hana, 14, and several other of their relatives, as well as sisters Dima and Mira Rami al-Ifranji, 15 and 11, and neighbour Dana Riad Hasan Ishkantna, 9.

In the same area on 17 May, Rafeef Murshed Abu Dayer, 10, another student helped by NRC, was killed after shrapnel hit her together with her two brothers, who were having lunch in the garden of the Ghazi Shawa building. Rafeef’s 11th birthday would have been next week on 25 May.

NRC works with 118 schools in the Gaza Strip, reaching more than 75,000 students through its psycho-social intervention, the Better Learning Programme.

“As an urgent measure, we appeal to all parties for an immediate ceasefire so that we can reach those in need and spare more civilians,” Egeland said. “But the truth is that there can be no peace or security as long as there are systemic injustices. The siege of Gaza needs to be lifted and the occupation of Palestinians must end if we are to avoid more trauma and death among children and new cycles of destruction every few years.”

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Defence

Royal Navy Joins NATO’s Major Missile Test Off Scottish Coast

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Three Royal Navy warships have joined NATO allies for the world’s largest test of naval air defences.

The three-week-long Exercise Formidable Shield 2021 is taking place off Scotland’s Outer Hebrides and Norway’s Arctic coast.

It will see live missile launches, as the warships test their ability to track, identify and destroy incoming threats from the air.

HMS Dragon leads the Royal Navy’s participation as a dedicated air defence destroyer designed to shield a task group with her Sea Viper missile system.

Joining her are frigates HMS Lancaster and Argyll, whose Sea Ceptor systems also provide shorter range defence against incoming missiles and aircraft.

They’ll be tested against supersonic high-diving targets plummeting towards the task group at speeds in excess of 12,000mph as well as sea-skimming drones simulating missiles.

Safety checks and procedures are in place to make sure the ranges are safe and the risk to surrounding areas negligible.

Additionally, while on the exercise, the British ships will also be testing cutting-edge software designed to alleviate the burden on the team in the operations room, looking out for potential threats.

Ten NATO nations are taking part with Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK and USA, committing ships, aircraft, ground assets and staff.

US Navy’s Sixth Fleet leads the exercise with Spanish frigate ESPS Cristóbal Colón used as the flagship.

In its 2021 iteration, the exercise involves 15 ships, more than 10 aircraft and more than 3,000 personnel.

“Delivering integrated air and missile defence, and specifically ballistic missile defence, is one of STRIKFORNATO’s primary roles on behalf of the Alliance,” said Rear Admiral James Morley, the British Deputy Commander of STRIKFORNATO.

“Formidable Shield 21 is an important opportunity to further develop fighting capability and domain integration against a challenging set of realistic targets – a demonstration of our resolve to counter the threat.”

Cover image: HMS Defender firing a Sea Viper on Exercise Formidable Shield 2019 (Picture: Royal Navy).

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Diplomatic relations

Norwegian National Day – ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Norway as you celebrate the 207th anniversary of Constitution Day.

The United States and Norway share a strong commitment to global peace, economic development, human rights, and democratic values.  As NATO Allies, we are bolstering our collective defense capabilities and collaborating to meet today’s security challenges.  Our enduring partnership is further strengthened by our work in the Arctic Council, where we are advancing a vision of a more prosperous region, while addressing the global climate crisis and respecting the interests and cultures of indigenous peoples.  Our historic Transatlantic ties will grow even stronger as we continue to foster the people-to-people connections that define our friendship.

Best wishes to all Norwegians on this special day.

( ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE – USA)

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Media Freedom

May 17 marks Norwegian Constitution Day

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

On the occasion of Norwegian Constitution Day, Norwegian are proud to highlight the unique tradition of celebrating a day that goes back 207 years.

On this very special day, Norwegians all over the world celebrate culture, country and the constitution of 1814. We celebrate our democratic institutions and our King as constitutional Head of State. We celebrate our modern welfare state where income distribution and gender equality has brought social stability and economic prosperity. 

In normal circumstances, we will see children, women and men in their national “Bunad” costumes carry Norwegian flags and march accompanied by school brass bands from all over the country through our cities and towns. In Oslo, the capital city, children from Oslo’s schools march past the royal palace where the royal family is assembled on the balcony to greet them. Although we this year will have to hold back our celebrations because of the global pandemic.

Source: Asgeir Helgestad/visitnorway.com

Norway’s Royal Family, always at the center of 17th of May celebrations, won’t be standing for hours on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo to wave to marching school children but they will make an appearance at 11:30am that will be broadcast nationwide. They’ll observe a vastly downscaled ceremony on the palace grounds and then, precisely at noon, lead an attempt to sing the national anthem Ja vi elsker along with Norwegians all over the country. Government officials hope that while the royals sing from the balcony, the rest of the population will sing along in front of their TVs, from their own balcones or in the midst of 17th of May brunches.

Attempts were also being made to restrict access to the grounds of the Royal Palace, to ensure social distancing in a city that still demands two meters between people instead of just one. State health officials, realizing that may not be easy, granted dispensation to Royal Palace staff on Friday to allow the festivities to move forward in a “defensible manner.”

After their balcony appearance at midday on Monday, King Harald and Queen Sonja are due to take off in the same vintage car used at the end of World War II for another drive through town like the surprise one last year. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will also go for drive around town in the 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible used at both their wedding and the king and queen’s wedding. The routes were withheld to prevent crowds from gathering.

They’ll end up at Filipstad on Oslo’s waterfront, where the royal yacht Norge is docked. It will be decked out with national and maritime flags and the royals will embark on a cruise down the Oslo Fjord towards Tønsberg. Other boatowners are encouraged to sail along in a major boat parade. Local maritime association Oslo seilforening has urged members to dress up, decorate their boats with birch branches, mount flags at the stern and join in.

The most unpredictable factor was the weather, with rain forecast during the day.

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NATO and Norway

NATO warships start major air and missile defence exercise

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Europe’s biggest and most complex air and missile exercise gets underway on Saturday (15 May 2021) with ships and aircraft from across NATO defending against a variety of missiles. Exercise “At-Sea-Demo/Formidable Shield” is held primarily at the Hebrides range off Scotland, and also at the Andoya training site off Norway, involving 15 ships and dozens of aircraft from ten NATO nations.

Photo credit: Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Beard. U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet

“Formidable Shield shows how Allies are working together to defend NATO forces and populations from the very real threat of missiles,” said NATO Deputy Spokesperson Piers Cazalet. “In conflicts around the world, cruise and ballistic missiles are often the weapon of choice, both for state and non-state actors. So at a time when we see missile arsenals growing and becoming more complex, it is important that Allies continue to adapt and exercise our defences.”

Part of the exercise will see ships detect and track a missile flying at more than 20,000km/h. Ships will also defend against an array of anti-ship and other sub and supersonic missiles using NATO procedures. Allies will share common tactical pictures, conduct joint mission planning and coordinate in shooting down incoming missiles. Surveillance aircraft will monitor the live-fire training. 

Held every two years, Formidable Shield will run until 3 June and is led by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO on behalf of the US Sixth Fleet. The exercise will involve around 3,300 personnel from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Spanish Navy’s frigate ESPS Cristobal Colon is the flagship of the exercise. 

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Racism in Norway

‘Structural Racism’ in Norway ?

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

While refusing to use the formula “structural racism”, claiming that people don’t really understand its meaning and implications, Erna Solberg nevertheless acknowledged that it has been and remains a problem.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has joined the debate on racism that has blossomed in the country’s media and public life in recent weeks.

In her recent interview with the newspaper Nettavisen ahead of the Conservative Party national convention, Solberg suggested that minorities in Norway are facing systemic obstacles. While refusing to use the exact term “structural racism” used by the journalist, she nevertheless acknowledged that it exists.

“I have tried to say that we shouldn’t use the term ‘structural racism’ because people don’t really understand what it is. If you mean that our country unintentionally has a system in place that makes people feel that they don’t get the same opportunity because they have a different skin colour, ethnicity, religion or another name – then it does exist in our society,” Solberg said.
“It’s just a matter of looking at questions about how many applications you have to send and this ‘bias’ that we all have – that is, prejudices that we ourselves are unaware of. It is to be defined as structural racism,” she expanded.

Solberg ventured that this is something companies and businesses are facing.

“Understanding this is important, and I have said that for many years. I have met business leaders and urged them to think through how their HR departments work for diversity. And how they work to ensure that this doesn’t become a system that causes them to lose good talent,” Solberg continued.

Lastly, the prime minister explained that the state is already working to avoid such discrimination.

“We are doing something about it on the state level right now, in that we have anonymous applications for some jobs. And so we will try and see whether it yields us different results than we would get otherwise,” Solberg continued.

In contemporary social studies, structural racism (also known as societal or systemic) is often defined as norms and policies that lead to persistent discrimination against minorities. However, since it often involves abstract terms such as subconscious bias, critics see it as a way of labelling a society racist without its laws necessarily being written in a racist way.

In recent times, there has been a lot of debate about racism in Norway, and whether there are formal or informal structures in place that keep the minorities down. For instance, the Sri-Lanka-born Deputy Mayor of Oslo, Kamzy Gunaratnam of the Labour Party, argued that municipal employees must be specifically trained to avoid structural racism.

Remarkably, however, Nettavisen’s readers appeared to have a completely different opinion on that matter. In the attached poll, 86 percent of the readers said that structural racism doesn’t exist in Norway, as opposed to 14 percent who claimed otherwise at the time of writing.

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Diplomatic relations

The US and Norway Get Closer

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Last month, the United States and Norway signed an updated defense deal called the Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement. It allows the U.S. to build new facilities at select Norwegian bases and gives the U.S. unimpeded access to and use of the facilities.

The deal was just one example of the increasing defense cooperation between the two NATO allies in recent years. The U.S. Marine Rotational Force Europe regularly deploys Marines to northern Norway for cold weather training. Next year, in fact, Norway will host NATO’s Cold Response drills, which will be attended of course by U.S. forces. Just this week, the USS New Mexico, a nuclear-powered Virginia-class attack submarine, arrived for a port call at a naval base near Tromso in northern Norway.

Their increasing interest in defense coordination is driven primarily by concerns over Russia – specifically, the access of Russian forces to two major northern routes. The Northern Sea Route, which runs along Russia’s Arctic coast, is increasingly opening up because of melting ice caps. The Arctic Bridge Route, which extends between Iceland and the United Kingdom and between Iceland and Greenland, could give Russia access to the Atlantic. The U.S. and Norway hope their cooperation will help stifle Moscow’s incursions in these two strategic pathways.

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Economics

StormGeo was acquired by Alfa Laval for $440 million

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

StormGeo, a Bergen, Norway-based provider of weather intelligence and advanced data science solutions, announced that it was acquired by Alfa Laval from Sweden.

The deal was made in cash for a price consideration of NOK 3.63 bn ($440M), on debt free basis. StormGeo will become a part of the Alfa Laval Marine Division.

StormGeo, founded in 1997 and led by CEO Søren Andersen, has its origin in TV2, Norway’s largest commercial broadcaster, which in 1993 was the first to use animated weather reports. Meteorologist Siri Kalvig saw an opportunity to offer customized weather services to other industries. This idea eventually grew into StormGeo.

The company now employs 515 people in 15 countries and provides solutions and services for weather-sensitive operations, primarily in the marine industry, off-shore and other weather-dependent industries. The company’s weather information services help customers mitigate risk, improve safety and make sustainable choices on routes and operations.

StormGeo has since 2014 been under the ownership of EQT, DNV GL and a group of employees. Total sales in 2020 amounted to NOK 714M ($86.5M).

Alfa Laval, led by CEO Tom Erixon, is active in the areas of Energy, Marine, and Food & Water, offering its expertise, products, and service to a wide range of industries in some 100 countries. The company is committed to optimizing processes, creating responsible growth, and driving progress – always going the extra mile to support customers in achieving their business goals and sustainability targets.

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Asia and Norway

Activists in Oslo protest the governments of Iran and Turkey

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The attacks of the invading Turkish state against Kurdistan and the executions carried out in Iran were protested in Oslo.

The action organized by NCDK Oslo and PJAK begun in front of Oslo’s central station with a minute silence.

The messages of PJAK and KJAR followed music and songs by artist Welat Kobanê.

The speeches made at the event paid tribute to four revolutionaries Shirin Elemhuli, Ferzad Kemanger, Eli Heyderiyan and Ferhad Wekili who were executed by Iran on May 9, 2010.

“9 May is a day against free thinking for the freedom movement in Eastern Kurdistan. On this day, 11 years ago, the dictatorial reactionary state in Iran has executed four Kurdish resistance fighters and revolutionaries without trial. Ferzad Kemanger, Shirin Elemhuli, Eli Heyderiyan, Ferhad Wekili became the symbol of the struggle against dictatorship. This struggle and their resistance will remain in the memories of the Kurds and these martyrs will never be forgotten. We commemorate the prison martyrs and May martyrs. We promise to continue their struggle.”

Activists also protested the Turkish state’s invasion attacks against South Kurdistan and sen this message “It is time for the unity and solidarity of the Kurds against these attacks”.

Norwegian activists from Anti Rasist and Solidaritet med Kurdistan also spoke at the demonstration.

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Defence

US, Norway among first foreign countries to join EU military mobility project

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

EU defence ministers on Thursday (6 May) agreed to allow the United States, Norway and Canada to join the bloc’s project on military mobility, seen as the ‘silver bullet’ for EU-NATO defence cooperation and designed to ensure seamless movement of military equipment across the EU in response to crises.

“Their expertise will contribute to the project and, with it, to improving military mobility within and beyond the EU,” the bloc’s foreign policy chief and meeting chairman, Josep Borrell, said following the agreement.

“It will make EU defence more efficient and contribute to strengthening our security,” he added.

Soldiers pull a ropes as they practices the crossing of the river Elbe at the crossing point between Storkau (Elbe) and Hohengoehren, in Hohengoehren, Germany, 23 October 2020. [EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN]

It’s the first time that the EU will allow outside countries to join its so-called Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework of 46 military projects and is a sign of improving EU-NATO cooperation.

Formally established in December 2017, the PESCO framework was created with the intention to deepen defence cooperation among the 25 participating EU member states, help fund, develop and deploy armed forces together and make the EU’s defence sector more flexible and independent of the US.

It does not amount to a joint military force, but some EU members have raised fears of duplication and solo-runs.

Military mobility aims at improving the exchange of information between EU countries and cutting red tape at borders, including harmonising customs rules to allow for swift deployments and easier transport of military equipment, diplomats said.

More than 70,000 US military personnel are stationed in Europe, partly to help reassure Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland that they will be defended in case of aggression from Russia.

Canada is currently leading a NATO battlegroup stationed in the region, while Norway is considered as the key to security in Northern Europe, and especially the Arctic region.

With the decision, the three countries will join the Dutch-led project aimed at easing bureaucratic procedures that slow troop deployments considerably, whether by land, sea or air.

“We are very pleased (…) to welcome three important NATO countries to this EU project. I will send the official invitation letters soon,” Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld said in a statement.

“Currently, there are administrative and infrastructural barriers that make it difficult for military personnel and equipment to move through Europe. Often, it is easier for a tourist to travel through the EU than it is for military personnel,” she added.

The EU has designated €1.7 billion over the next seven years to help bolster the bloc’s military mobility” including by upgrading infrastructure like bridges, rail and roads.

A new dimension of the EU’s current Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy addresses the implementation and development of a Europe-wide network of railway lines, roads, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports and railroad terminals.

Dual-use (civilian-military) co-funding of transport infrastructure projects has also been proposed within the next Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

“We need standardisation as much for civil projects that fulfil military requirements as for the latter themselves,” Jörg Vollmer, commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command Brunssum, urged in March.

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer described the move as “a quantum jump in our concrete cooperation.”

She said bringing the countries in is “an enormous step regarding the practical ability of the European armed forces. And we see this as another big step regarding trans-Atlantic connectivity and in the cooperation of EU and NATO.”

“The EU’s road to developing a stronger, more sovereign, more united and more strategic defence and security policy must reinforce and under no circumstance undermine transatlantic cooperation and NATO,” MEP David McAllister, head of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee told EURACTIV.

“As the example of military mobility shows, it is possible to build up meaningful structures in the EU framework and pave the way for stronger and more ambitious defence cooperation with partners,” he added.

More members to come?

While there have been no specific talks with Britain, which along with France was one of the EU’s biggest military powers, more foreign countries can seek to join, diplomats say.

“It is also very important for transatlantic cooperation, good cooperation between EU members and NATO allies,” said one of the diplomats, who spoke under condition of anonymity.

As EURACTIV first reported in late October, the EU27 agreed on conditions to allow countries outside the bloc to participate in joint defence projects.

Under the deal, brokered by the German EU presidency, a third country can only apply if it meets a stringent set of political, legal, and “substantive” conditions.

The political conditions for third countries limit their participation to cases where they provide “substantial added value” to the military project and share “the values on which the EU is founded”, meaning that they do not contravene its security and defence interests.

Many EU diplomats agree that the set of political conditions effectively excludes Russia, China, and Turkey.

A certain outsider

As EURACTIV reported in November, NATO member and EU candidate Turkey is likely to remain outside the PESCO framework, at least until the dispute with Cyprus over activities in Eastern Mediterranean is resolved and tensions in the standoff with Greece and France are defused.

The EU has kept Ankara at arm’s length from its initiatives although Turkey, with one of the largest militaries in Europe, has been an associate member of the Western European Union (WEU) and its Armaments Agency (European Defence Agency predecessor). It is also a member of NATO and participates in the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation.

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Africa and Norway

Fresh violence worsens famine threat in South Sudan

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The escalating conflict has worsened the famine threat in South Sudan’s Equatoria regions as thousands of farmers and families are forced to abandon their homes, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

In a statement on Monday, NRC said the killing of civilians has also disrupted planting for farmers at a time when 60% of the population is suffering from acute food insecurity.

NRC called on all parties to the conflict to urgently resolve tensions and avoid accelerating the risk of famine.

“Civilians have been killed and displaced due to fresh violence over the last month, exacerbating a genuine famine threat as farmers and families are forced to abandon their homes.

“All parties should end the violence and allow unfettered access to aid organizations, otherwise we risk witnessing a humanitarian crisis not seen in the country for years,” said Mark Millar, Policy Analyst for NRC in South Sudan.

Truck drivers from neighboring countries are unable to deliver supplies and humanitarian workers are unable to provide aid due to fighting in the war-torn country, NRC said, adding that at least 1,500 people have sought shelter in the town of Yei.

Many South Sudanese remain trapped in the bush and thousands are believed to have fled into neighboring Uganda, according to NRC.
Founded in July 2011, South Sudan has been hit by years of conflict.

Despite glimmers of hope following the signing of a peace agreement in 2018, conflict, violence and displacement are again becoming a day-to-day reality in South Sudan.

In March, the country’s government began a series of security operations against the National Salvation Front (NAS) rebel group in the southern part of Central Equatoria State.

Around 235,000 people are currently displaced in Central Equatoria and the number looks set to increase as conflict continues. Approximately 50,000 people are displaced in Eastern Equatoria, according to NRC.

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Racism in Norway

A relentless quest to find biological parents

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

This is the story of Priyangika Samanthie who is originally a Sri Lankan but was adopted by a Norwegian couple and was taken to Oslo. She helps individuals get reunited with their biological parents who were made victims of a sinister ‘adoption lobby’ running in Sri Lanka. And, her own story of reuniting with her biological mother is worth a read.

Priyangika was three when she stumbled upon the fact that she was an adopted child. When asked about how she got to know the reality, she revealed, “Before I answer this, I would like to tell you that some of the articles that are online are misleading; some of the information is not correct. I tried to make them change it but it is poor journalism. So, when I was three, I got to know about my adoption because I started having questions when my family and I went to the stores or anywhere else. I could tell that everyone has a relationship with their biological parents because they looked alike. And, I could sense that something was odd about our situation. And it got me thinking after which my adoptive parents started speaking to me about I having a second mom; which they did from an early age.”

She continued, “They always used to talk about me having three parents because they knew only about my biological mother and not my father. I specifically remember one instance when we went to the store, and I was lost because I went away from my adoptive mother. Then the cashier came over to me and asked me whether I needed some help. I had then asked her to help me find my mother. But after she took me back to my adoptive mother, I had started asking for my real mother. And, I had stated that I felt like I had been kidnapped. I used to shout on the streets saying that my adoptive parents stole me and this was something I used to say all through the years I grew up in. And I felt I was not supposed to be in Norway and that I wanted to go back home.”

Priyangika continued to narrate her tale, “We found mom in 2013, and then I had gone to Sri Lanka on Independence Day in 2014. But I had been searching for her since I was seven. So, I searched for over 12 years before I could meet her. The adoption law in Europe is that the adoptive parents are not allowed to assist the adoptees to reunite with their biological parents. And hence the adoptees have to find their families on their own. They can only give the adoptees the documents from the time they were adopted. But they may not reveal any kind of information about the whereabouts of the biological families or any tip-off which could help the adoptees to reunite with their actual parents. I am trying to get this changed now. By the age of five, my adoptive parents used to tell me about my adoption in detail because I always had a lot of questions on my mind regarding the documents and my situation. We used to sit and talk about my family in Sri Lanka and the legal process required to be followed.”

“Listening to my follow-up questions, my parents fathomed I was keener to know about my adoption as compared to my adoptive brother. Both of us are not biologically related; we were adopted from Sri Lanka. Then my adoptive parents showed me the documents such as birth certificates and films from the time they spent in Sri Lanka. But it was not enough information about my biological mother. So, at seven, I went to my adoptive father’s office, and I asked him to help me write to the Government to get access to my documents. My father could only help me write a letter to the reunification programme authorities but my application was declined, and I was told that one has to be at least 16 to begin looking out for biological parents. And the Government told me that I could not look into their files until I was 18. This was a huge problem,” mentioned Priyangika.

Taking a stroll down memory lane, she let us know, “I remember we had waited for a year to receive the authorities’ response and were shocked to know about the minimum age threshold. We used to wait near the mailbox every single day. Realising that my plea was declined, I went into severe depression. I became suicidal by the age of eight. At school, I used to go to the library and ask for books about Sri Lanka. I began writing letters to the authors asking them to help me find my mom. We had a lot of family friends who were Tamil; but as my brother and I were Sinhalese, they were skeptical to talk to us as it was the time of war in Sri Lanka. But they still contacted people in Sri Lanka but nobody could really find anything concrete. By the age of 13, everyone started telling me it seemed impossible for me to meet my mom.”

Remembering how she started helping other individuals to reunite with their families, she told us, “While I was looking for my mother, one biological mother contacted me as she thought I had been helping others to meet their families. In real, I was just helping myself. She mentioned her child was stolen and taken to Europe. At that point, I thought that something was odd. Nevertheless, we were lucky enough to find her daughter. Rumours about I helping others to get reunited continues to spread, and that is how I started doing that for real.”

It was while reuniting others and getting to know more Sri Lankans that Priyangika got to know about the hospital she was born in and the adoption centre in Colombo where she was kept. But the adoption centre was reluctant to give away any information regarding her mother. Even after striving hard, nothing could make her find her mother out and she had almost given up but carried on to help others to reunite. During her quest, she got to know about things like ‘baby farms’, acting mothers, and child kidnapping. But she continued to reckon that she was legally adopted as her adoptive parents had always told her of the court proceedings in her case. By the age of 18, she had assisted 100 reunions but still could not find her mom.

It was in 2012 that she had already given birth to a son, Nishant and she said that this was her first biological relationship. After it had been over 10 years of her trying to meet her mother, she had completely given up but yet she tried one last time. Priyangika turned to private sleuths in Sri Lanka and they could track her mother down.

Describing her reunion with mom, she divulged, “Even though I knew that something was odd about my adoption, I had thought that it would be extremely joyous to meet my mother. But to my surprise, she was reluctant even to look at me and felt shameful. Even though I kept on asking her innumerable questions, she was not ready to answer them. All she told me was that my father had passed away. She was traumatised. We spent a lot of time together over the next three weeks. She did not tell me much about my past but all she said was that I was not supposed to be taken away. I moved to Sri Lanka the next year.”

Revealing information about the ‘adoption lobby’, she let us know, “Adoption organisations in Europe have links to the birth countries of the children. Norway still has three such organisations. These organisations charge millions of rupees to finalise the adoption. They have contacts with individuals in the countries of birth who tell them about orphanages. Baby farms, kidnapping children from families, hospitals, or streets, babies found at the orphanages’ doorstep or given to them without the consent of the biological parents facilitate the illegal adoption lobby. Sometimes, parents are paid money and are falsely assured that the adoption is for a short time period so that they can stabilise their lives with the money but their children are never returned to them. Also, parents are deceived to believe that these orphanages are places where you can leave your kids and later pick them up again and meanwhile, those kids are given away.”

She also revealed, “The Government officials and lawyers can also be part of this lobby and stealthily make the adoptive parents believe that the adoption is legal. It is tough to understand this lobby if you do not see it on your own. Therefore, I have also worked in orphanages in Sri Lanka. Women are even paid to become ‘acting mothers’ and give away someone else’s child for adoption. These women are poor and are told that they can give a new life to the child by making them move to Europe to experience a better life, get access to better education to come back and help their own families. Babies are even swapped at hospitals to meet the needs of adoptive parents sometimes. Children are even claimed to be born dead.”

Explaining her own case, she said, “During her pregnancy, my mother was forced to live alone because of extremely traumatising circumstances with my father, his family, and their community. One of her family friends then fooled her to live with her. She had also persuaded my mother to give me away for adoption, but she did not give in even though she was poor. Right after my birth, the doctor asked her to give me away, but she was not ready. She took me home and asked my father to accept us, but he did not do so. That was when the ‘family friend’ came in again and she lied to my mother about ‘temporary adoptions’. She was told that she will be paid many lakhs of Rupees to hand me over to white parents and will stay in touch with me. And, when my adoptive parents showed her the images from Norway, she thought they were structures made by colonisers in Sri Lanka itself. And, my adoptive parents could not know that the lobby translator kept on referring to ‘temporary adoption’. And, such illegal cases are handled by ‘acting courts’ and hence, both biological and adoptive parents are fooled. Illegal documents are made as well. The fact that I left Sri Lanka is mentioned nowhere. Even the European governments are not obliged to scrutinise the documents closely.”

Priyangika also mentioned that she would now begin with legal action. She will be filing lawsuits against such orphanages in Sri Lanka either this or the next year; which depends on circumstances created by the pandemic. She will also file a lawsuit against the Norwegian Government later. She told us that while Sri Lanka has accepted the existence of this lobby, nobody from the Government has confessed to their role.

She has reunited people from different European countries, the USA, Australia to their families in Brazil, Colombia, and India in the past but mainly focuses on Sri Lanka now to dig deeper into one system. As per Priyangika, an industry based on children should not thrive. The Government should be responsible for its own children. And, the adoption racket has still not ended in Sri Lanka. New ways have been devised to continue to send children to foreign lands.

“The fraud has only changed its form; it has not ended,” she said. (Goa Chronicle) 

( Daily news .lk )

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Media Freedom

Norway and the EU to establish air ambulance in Tromsø

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

As part of the EU’s civil protection mechanism known as RescEU, plans have been announced to establish an air ambulance with a permanent base in Tromsø. This aircraft will be used to transport patients with serious infectious diseases across the entire EU and EEA. The aircraft will strengthen both Norwegian and European levels of preparedness as the aircraft will be incorporated into the National Air Ambulance Services of Norway when not deployed on European assignments.

‘The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated how important the EU is to Norway. We are working together closely to manage the pandemic, as well as to build important preparedness capabilities that will serve us in future.

I am delighted that Norway can lend its expertise by providing an air ambulance for the transportation of patients with serious infectious diseases. This aircraft will enhance preparedness in Norway when it is not on deployment in Europe, and will be a welcome boost to the air ambulance service offered in Northern Norway’, says Bent Høie, Minister of Health and Care Services.

The aircraft will be in place by the end of 2021 and will be part of the Norwegian involvement in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The scheme enables Norwegian bodies involved in preparedness to cooperate with the EU across a range of areas in civic safety and preparedness, and the air ambulance is part of this civilian protection mechanism known as RescEU (see fact panel).

This agreement strengthens preparedness in both Norway as well as throughout the EU and EEA. Norway possesses valuable expertise in relation to the transportation of high risk infectious patients, especially thanks to the National CBNRE Centre of Medicine at Oslo University Hospital.

The CBNRE Centre has responsibility for preparedness in relation to personal injuries caused by particularly hazardous substances, toxic smoke, radiation and biological contaminants that may cause issues such as high risk disease.

The agreement signed with the EU will see them provide full funding for the initiative for the period 2021-2026.

RescEU and the National Air Ambulance Services of Norway

RescEU

RescEU is part of the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism and is intended to strengthen protections for citizens from disasters, while also dealing with new risks that emerge. This includes a fleet of firefighting aircraft and helicopters, medical evacuation aircraft, as well as stockpiles of medical equipment and field hospitals that can be used in medical emergencies, and in the event of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents.

Source: EU Civil Protection Mechanism

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Diplomatic relations

Norway signs Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

“The United States of America is Norway’s most important ally, and we have shared more than 70 years of close, constructive defence cooperation. The Agreement both updates and further develops the agreements and cooperation already in place between Norway and the U. S. The Agreement will play a vital role in ensuring Norwegian security within the framework of NATO”, said Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen.

The Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA) updates and regulates practical aspects of U.S. military activity in Norway, and supplements existing agreements between Norway and the U.S. The Agreement was signed today by Norway’s Minister of Defence. The Agreement must be submitted to the Storting (Norwegian parliament) for consent before it can enter into force.

Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen sign an agreement between Norway and USA
Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen sign an agreement between Norway and USA Credit: Torbjørn Kjosvold, Norwegian Armed FOrces

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‘Our cooperation with our Allies is under continuous development. The Agreement reaffirms Norway’s close relationship with the U.S. and confirms Norway’s key position on the northern flank of NATO. To ensure that Norway and our Allies can operate together in a crisis situation under difficult conditions, we must be able to hold exercises and train regularly here in Norway. The Agreement does not entail any changes to key Norwegian security policy principles. Our policies regarding the stationing of foreign forces on Norwegian territory, the stockpiling or deployment of nuclear weapons and port visits remain unchanged,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide on a press conference after a signing an agreement between Norway and USA
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide on a press conference after a signing an agreement between Norway and USA Credit: Torbjørn Kjosvold

‘Norway’s defence rests on three main elements: the national defence capability, collective defence through NATO, and bilateral reinforcement plans with close allies. The ongoing development of defence cooperation with the US complements our own efforts to strengthen the capacity of the Norwegian Armed Forces,’ said Mr Bakke-Jensen.

The U.S. has entered into similar agreements with several Allied countries in Europe, to promote more predictable development of defence cooperation and ensure a robust and practical framework for providing reinforcements in the event of war or crisis.    

The Agreement establishes and regulates Agreed Facilities and Areas, which are specified locations that may be used for military purposes. Under the Agreement, US forces will have unimpeded access to and use of these facilities and areas. All U.S. activities shall be conducted with full respect for the sovereignty, laws, and international legal obligations of Norway. This is how the Allied presence in Norway has been organised since the end of the Second World War. Any US military activity carried out in Norway will continue to be subject to close coordination between Norway and the US.

Under the Agreement, Agreed Facilities and Areas will be established at Rygge Military Air Station and Airfield, Sola Military Air Station and Airfield, Evenes Military Air Station and Airfield and Ramsund Naval Station. These locations have been selected with the aim of strengthening cooperation with the U.S. in the air defence and maritime domains in years to come. Infrastructure investments may be made at all four locations. Projects within Agreed Facilities and Areas will be developed in consultation with the U.S., but funding must be allocated under the U.S. defence budget before projects can be initiated. As a result, it will take some time before any planned projects are completed. Additional Agreed Facilities and Areas may be established at a later date if Norway and the U.S. agree. This will also require the approval of the Norwegian Government and the consent of the Storting.

The Agreement will be presented to the Storting in two propositions: one to request consent to ratify the Agreement and the other to propose necessary legislation to implement it in Norwegian law. Both propositions will be submitted to the Storting during the autumn 2021 session. The draft legislation and the Agreement will be circulated to the public in spring 2021, with a three-month deadline.

Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Richard Riley during a signing an agreement between Norway and USA
Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Richard Riley during a signing an agreement between Norway and USA Credit: Torbjørn Kjosvold, Norwegian Armed Forces

Facts about the Agreement:

The SDCA provides the basis for further developing Norway’s longstanding defence cooperation with the U.S. The Agreement supplements existing bilateral agreements with the U.S., as well as NATO’s Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces (NATO SOFA).

The Agreement regulates and facilitates U.S. presence, training and exercises in Norway, thus facilitating rapid U.S. reinforcement of Norway in the event of crisis or war.

The Agreement covers a wide range of rules that are important for regulating practical aspects of the activities of U.S. forces, such as entry and exit, jurisdiction, exemptions from taxes and duties, the use of contractors and welfare services, and prospective investments in infrastructure.

The Agreement provides a framework for close cooperation and consultations between Norwegian and U.S. authorities regarding activities and operational and security issues. The text explicitly states that ‘nothing in this Agreement alters Norwegian policies with regard to the stationing of foreign forces on Norwegian territory, and the stockpiling or deployment of nuclear weapons on Norwegian territory.’   

The Agreement introduces the concept of Agreed Facilities and Areas, which are defined as locations that are central to the development of practical defence cooperation. Agreed Facilities and Areas will be established at Rygge Military Air Station and Airfield, Sola Military Air Station and Airfield, Evenes Military Air Station and Airfield and Ramsund Naval Station. This primarily encompasses military areas, with the addition of airfield facilities such as runways and taxiways. These areas will be used jointly by Norwegian, U.S. and other Allied forces, and the U.S. may decide to provide infrastructure investments at these locations.

An extensive dialogue will be conducted with the U.S. regarding the use of Agreed Facilities and Areas, and prospective activities to be carried out there. Buildings and other infrastructure constructed and financed by the U.S. at these locations in the future will become the property of Norway, while the U.S. will have right of unimpeded access and use. It is too early to predict the costs that the Agreement will entail for Norway, but these may include costs for security measures and the hire of private land for exercises. If activities under the Agreement lead to an increase in Norwegian expenditure, this will be dealt with as part of the normal budget process.

In principle, the Agreement is open-ended, but after an initial term of ten years, it may be terminated with one year’s notice.

(MFA Norway)

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Diplomatic relations

Increased funding for humanitarian efforts highlighting protection and food security

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

‘Norway is increasing its support for efforts to protect civilians, improve food security and provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in countries affected by crisis and conflict, and is providing a record-high NOK 6.3 billion in humanitarian funding,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

Most of Norway’s 2021 humanitarian budget is being channelled through the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Norwegian humanitarian organisations. 

‘Today, many countries are experiencing complex crises. The humanitarian situation can change very quickly. The combined impacts of armed conflict, the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and extreme poverty are exacerbating humanitarian crises. It is vital for Norway to work with flexible humanitarian organisations that understand the local conditions,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide. 

The number of people in need of humanitarian aid and protection worldwide is higher than ever before. According to UN estimates, some 235 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2021. This is an increase of 40 % from last year.

‘An increasing number of people do not have enough food. Some 270 million people in 79 countries are now on the brink of or are already facing a hunger crisis, and armed conflict is the primary cause. At the same time, more and more people are being forced to flee their homes, either across national borders or within their own country. Increased core funding to humanitarian organisations provides both predictability and flexibility for our partners and helps to promote a more effective humanitarian response,’ Ms Eriksen Søreide said.

This year, Norway has increased its core support to the World Food Programme (WFP) to NOK 800 million and to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to NOK 680 million. These are extraordinary increases in funding, allocated in response to growing needs arising from food insecurity and increased displacement as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

So far this year, Norway has provided NOK 420 million in funding to the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Norway is one of CERF’s largest donors. CERF ensures that humanitarian assistance reaches people in need quickly when crises emerge or escalate, and provides funding for underfunded emergencies. In 2021, the funds have been allocated to provide food assistance in Nigeria, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

Norway also supports the work being done by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to protect and assist people living in conflict-affected countries. Norway has provided NOK 163 million to the ICRC, among other things to support the organisation’s efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).  

Food security and protection of civilians are the most pressing humanitarian issues in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan. These are the countries that have received the most humanitarian support from Norway in 2021, as in recent years. So far this year, Norway has allocated NOK 700 million to humanitarian efforts in Syria, NOK 200 million in Yemen and NOK 166 million in South Sudan. This funding are being channelled through the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and Norwegian humanitarian organisations. Norway will provide further support to the humanitarian response in these countries during the course of the year.    

Lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic have increased the risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This year, Norway will provide at least NOK 310 million to efforts to enhance protection against SGBV and access to sexual and reproductive health services in humanitarian crises.  

Protection of civilians against landmines and other explosives is another important priority for Norway. This year, Norway will provide at least NOK 300 million to global mine action.

‘Norway will continue to play a leading role in global humanitarian efforts both as a donor country and as a humanitarian actor. Our overall aim is to save lives, alleviate suffering and protect human dignity in conflict and crisis situations. At the same time, we will continue to promote innovation and an integrated approach in order to achieve better results with existing resources and counter the negative trend we are seeing in which more and more people are trapped in protracted humanitarian crises,’ Ms Eriksen Søreide said.

Facts

  • 235 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2021. This is 40 % more than in 2020.
  • Worldwide, there are over 26 million refugees and more than 45 million people are internally displaced.
  • Norway is providing a record-high NOK 6.3 billion in humanitarian support, to be used, among other things, to protect civilians, improve food security and provide assistance to displaced people in countries affected by crisis and conflict.
  • Protection of civilians is a key focus area for Norway. It is also one of Norway’s priority thematic areas in the UN Security Council, where we currently chair the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

Source: UN and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Economics

Responsible long-term management of the Government Pension Fund

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Ministry of Finance today published the white paper The Government Pension Fund 2021. The white paper addresses the Government efforts in further developing the investment strategy and strengthening of the responsible investment framework. The performance of the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) and the Government Pension Fund Norway (GPFN) is also presented.

– The Government has adopted comprehensive measures to limit the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic. We intend, in line with the fiscal policy guidelines, to scale back petroleum revenue spending when the economic situation is normalised. Along with responsible long-term investment management, this will ensure that the petroleum wealth may also benefit future generations, says Minister of Finance Jan Tore Sanner (Conservative Party).

Strong performance of both the GPFG and the GPFN

– We must be prepared for financial market volatility and for considerable fluctuations in the year-on-year value of the Fund. We are, however, well placed to withstand such market turbulence. A long-term investment strategy will serve us well over time, says the Minister of Finance.

Climate risk in the GPFG

Climate change will affect companies and global economic developments in coming years. Company earnings may be affected by changes in stakeholder preferences upon the transition to a low-carbon economy, physical changes resulting from climate change, as well as climate policy and technological developments. This entails financial risk, which needs to be managed by investors. The Ministry has therefore launched an initiative to further expand knowledge of how climate change, climate policy and the Green Shift may affect investors like the GPFG.

An expert group has been commissioned to prepare a report on the implications of financial climate risk and climate-related investment opportunities, including discussion of alternative approaches to these issues in the investment management. The Ministry has concurrently request analyses and assessments from Norges Bank. The Ministry will present its assessments of climate risk and climate-related investment opportunities in the white paper on the Government Pension Fund in the spring of 2022.

– Assessments of financial climate risk form an integral part of Norges Bank’s risk management, investment decisions and active ownership. Climate is nonetheless a financial risk factor that we need to understand better. The initiative now launched by the Ministry will expand our knowledge on this matter, says the Minister of Finance.

GPFG tax and transparency initiatives

– Norway takes an active role in international efforts to increase transparency, exchange of information and achieve an appropriate allocation of taxation rights globally. Matters concerning closed tax jurisdictions, international tax avoidance and appropriate allocation of taxation rights globally should be addressed and resolved through international cooperation and consensus-based solutions, says the Minister of Finance.

Enforcement of existing tax rules, as well as the development of tax regulations in domestic law and through international standards, are government responsibilities.

Norges Bank supports the Fund’s long-term financial interests through responsible investment practices. As a long-term financial investor, the emphasis is placed on real, long-term company earnings, and not on any potential short-term gains resulting from aggressive tax planning.

– The Government is committed to transparency and ethical awareness in the management of the Government Pension Fund. It is positive that Norges Bank is highlighting its work on tax and transparency issues. Going forwards, I expect that the Bank, on an ongoing basis, considers how these efforts can be further strengthened, says Minister of Finance Jan Tore Sanner.

Norges Bank has prepared expectations documents on several topics, including tax and transparency. The documents are based on internationally recognised principles and are directed at the board of directors of investee companies. Expectations documents are, among other things, used as a basis for the Bank’s company dialogues. In the expectations document on tax and transparency, Norges Bank expresses an expectation that companies pursue appropriate, prudent and transparent tax practices.

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Economics

Strengthening of the ethical framework for the Government Pension Fund Global

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Government strengthens the ethical framework for the Government Pension Fund Global. The proposed modifications are largely in line with the recommendations of the Ethics Committee.

– The ethical framework for the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) has worked well. In response to developments in both the Fund and ethical norms over the last 15 years, we propose modifications to strengthen the framework in certain areas, says Minister of Finance Jan Tore Sanner (Conservative Party).

In April 2019, the Government appointed a Committee tasked with reviewing the ethical framework for the GPFG. The Ethics Committee submitted its report, the NOU 2020: 7 green paper; Values and Responsibility, on 15 June 2020. The Ministry of Finance received about 50 consultative comments on the report.

The general ethical framework

– The framework is based on two ethical obligations. The Fund shall be managed with a view to generate long-term wealth for current and future generations. We shall at the same time avoid investing in companies that contribute to or are   responsible for serious violations of ethical norms, says the Minister of Finance.

Observation, exclusion and active ownership will be maintained as tools under the ethically motivated guidelines. The tools shall be applied in a cohesive manner, and the threshold for exclusion shall remain high. The overarching objective is that the most appropriate tool is applied in each individual case. Active ownership may be effective in reducing the risk of violating ethical norms by influencing companies to change their conduct.

An objects clause is proposed added to the guideline provisions in order to highlight the purpose of the Guidelines for Observation and Exclusion.

Criteria for observation and exclusion of companies

– The Government proposes the introduction of a new criterion for the sale of weapons, and to expand the corruption criterion to include «other serious financial crime». A new criterion will be added to target producers of cannabis as a recreational drug, says the Minister of Finance.

A new criterion on the «sale of weapons to states in armed conflict using such weapons in ways that constitute serious and systematic violations of the international law of armed conflict» is also proposed. This is in accordance with the Committee’s proposal. It is also proposed to omit the examples currently listed under the human rights criterion, which is also in line with the Committee’s proposal.

The Ministry has attached importance to wording the criteria such as to enable application to new issues that may arise over time. The white paper does at the same time identify key issues that are intended to fall within the scope of the various criteria. It is emphasised, inter alia, that «other serious financial crime» shall encompass tax evasion, money laundering and the facilitation of such activities, and that the human rights criterion shall encompass both labour rights and the rights of indigenous populations.

The Government supports the Committee’s view that there are fundamentally problematic aspects of lethal autonomous weapons. However, there is no clear definition of lethal autonomous weapons as yet, and such weapons have according to the Committee not been entered into use thus far. The Government is to that end not proposing such a criterion at this time. The Ministry will continue to examine a potential criterion in this regard, in view of current international efforts to develop guidelines on the use of such weapons. As far as nuclear weapons are concerned, the Government is proposing that the guidelines shall apply also to platforms produced exclusively for the delivery of nuclear weapons.

In proposing to introduce a criterion targeting producers of cannabis as a recreational drug, the Government attaches weight to the production of this product being prohibited in Norway, as well as to Norway having ratified the international drug control conventions. The Government also supports the Committee’s view that there is no broad consensus in Norwegian society that would justify exclusion of gaming companies, producers of alcohol or producers of weapons in general.

Investments in countries posing elevated ethical risk

– When making investments in countries and industries posing elevated ethical risk, extra vigilance with regard to potential norm violations will be required in the management of the Fund. We agree with the Committee’s assessment that company pre-screening would not be appropriate, says the Minister of Finance.

Norges Bank and the Council on Ethics should use information from multiple sources to identify matters that require attention, including information obtained from so-called ESG indices. The white paper does at the same time discuss why such indices are not suited for pre-screening of the Fund’s investment universe. Assessments of markets and companies should continue to be made by Norges Bank and the Council on Ethics, within the general framework defined by the Government and the Storting.

The management mandate requires Norges Bank to approve markets before investments are made. The Ministry proposes to specify that the Bank upon market approval shall pay heed to different types of risk, including country risk and political risk, and that it shall be feasible to adhere to responsible investment practices in the markets approved.

The Ministry intends to implement the Committee’s proposal to include the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) in the management mandate of Norges Bank. This will serve to clarify the normative basis for the Bank’s responsible investment practices regarding human rights.

Responsible investment practices support the UN Sustainable Development Goals

– The GPFG has a clear financial objective. The Fund therefore cannot be a policy tool for attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, the Fund’s ability to achieve satisfactory long-term return is considered to depend on sustainable development. The responsible investment practices promote sustainable long-term growth in the companies and markets in which the Fund is invested, and thereby support the Sustainable Development Goals, says the Minister of Finance.

Norges Bank uses a range of tools in its responsible management efforts, targeting both companies and standard setters. The Bank’s expectations documents which address, inter alia, climate change, ocean sustainability, children’s rights, human rights, etc., form the basis for much of the Bank’s responsible investment efforts. Moreover, the Bank has in separate publications advocated its views on corporate sustainability reporting and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Transparency and efficient information exchange between the Council on Ethics and Norges Bank

– Transparency is of key importance to the Fund’s legitimacy. Transparency is practised at present, and this needs to continue. Moreover, we must continue to facilitate smooth and efficient cooperation between Norges Bank and the Council on Ethics, says the Minister of Finance.

The Ministry is proposing to implement the Committee’s proposals on highlighting transparency and reporting requirements. The Ministry also supports the Committee’s proposals on clarifying the provisions in the guidelines to ensure efficient interaction between the Council on Ethics and Norges Bank. This will be carried out in a manner that preserves the independence of the Council on Ethics.

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Economics

Simplification of the benchmark index for the Government Pension Fund Global

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

In the white paper Government Pension Fund 2021, the Government proposes that no additional markets are to be added to the GPFG equity benchmark at the present time. Concurrently, the smallest companies are to be omitted from the equity benchmark. This modification entails a reduction in number of equity benchmark constituents by 25-30 percent.

Emerging market equity sub-index

As part of a comprehensive review of the equity benchmark composition, the Government has assessed the framework and sub-index for emerging market equity investments.

The Fund’s equity benchmark is based on a broad global index from the index provider FTSE Russell. The index has been expanded over time as the index provider has included new markets.

The Government proposes that no additional markets are to be added to the GPFG equity benchmark at the present time. This implies that any new emerging markets that the index provider might decide to include in its indices not automatically will be included in the Fund benchmark index.

– The Fund’s equity benchmark currently contains a considerable number of markets, including all major economies. Including additional and generally small emerging markets is not assumed to contribute to  improvement of the benchmark risk-return, says Minister of Finance Jan Tore Sanner (Conservative Party).

The management mandate for the GPFG requires Norges Bank to approve all markets in which the fund capital is to be invested. This applies also for markets that make up the benchmark index set by the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry will, based on the recommendations of the Ethics Committee, be clarifying the mandate provisions on risk assessment and reporting in the context of the Bank’s approval of markets.

The number of companies in the equity benchmark

The number of markets and companies included in the GPFG equity benchmark has increased significantly over time. The benchmark currently comprises about 8,800 companies across 24 developed and 22 emerging markets. 

In the white paper, the Government proposes that the number of companies in the GPFG equity benchmark be reduced by omitting the 25–30 percent smallest companies from the benchmark. Such a modification will involve reducing the number of equity benchmark constituents by about 2,200 companies.

– Including a large number of companies and markets in the benchmark increases  complexity, and may add to costs. It may also make it more challenging to maintain the role as a responsible investor, says the Minister of Finance.

The smallest index companies account only for a very small proportion of the overall market value of the equity benchmark. This may be illustrated by the fact that a quarter of the number of companies accounts for no more than two percent of the aggregate benchmark market value. Consequently, the diversification gains from the very smallest companies are limited. Moreover, the costs of trading in small company stocks are higher than that of large companies.

The Ministry observes that less information is available on small companies than on large companies, and that the Council on Ethics has commented that a reduction in the number of companies in the Fund would have a positive effect on its efforts.

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