Bilateral defence consultations with Germany

Developments in security affairs, NATO’s defence posture, and defence and security cooperation between Iceland and Germany, with a focus on North Atlantic security, where among the principal topics addressed during bilateral defence consultations held in Berlin last week. The discussions were led by Jónas Allansson, Director General of the Directorate of Defence, and Dr. Jasper Wieck, Director General at the German Federal Ministry of Defence. The consultations were conducted on the basis of the joint Letter of Intent on Bilateral Defence Cooperation signed in Reykjavík last October during the visit of Germany’s Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius.

The Embassy of Iceland in Berlin also hosted a conference on security issues in the North Atlantic and the Arctic, in cooperation with the embassies of Denmark, Canada, and Norway, as well as the German Federal Ministry of Defence, and with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Senior policy officials from the defence ministries of the organizing states discussed the most appropriate measures to address changes in the region’s threat environment. Representatives of the German and Norwegian navies, together with the head of operations at Iceland’s Directorate for Defence, outlined ongoing activities and how political priorities should be translated into operational practice. The conference concluded with academic experts addressing the evolving conditions in the Arctic resulting from climate change and the anticipated implications for the region’s security environment.