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Norway cancels manoeuvres with Nato allies over virus fears

Norway said Tuesday it was cancelling military exercises with Nato allies in the Arctic planned for March over fears of the spread of Covid-19 variants.

Published: 27 January 2021 09:11 CET
Norway cancels manoeuvres with Nato allies over virus fears
The USS Mount Whitney during a Nato exercise in Norway in 2018. Photo: AFP

The Joint Viking manoeuvres were to involve 10,000 soldiers, including 3,400 from the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and Germany.

“Norway, along with the rest of world, is faced with a challenging situation,” Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement on the cancellation of Viking and another exercise, Rein I.

“We must be one step ahead to try to avoid the spread of the mutated and more contagious variant of the virus.”

Some 2,800 soldiers from the allied countries were already in place in the northern Troms region and “there will be a controlled and well-planned departure,” Bakke-Jensen said.

Last weekend Norway imposed the strictest measures since March in Oslo and the surrounding region after the discovery of the British coronavirus variant in a retirement home.

A founding member of Nato and sharing an Arctic border with Russia, Norway regularly hosts military exercises to harden troops against harsh winter conditions.

It had already cancelled the Cold Response 2020 manoeuvres in March which were to involve more than 15,000 Nato soldiers, also because of the coronavirus.

READ ALSO: Nato's Cold War games in icy Norway: 'We have been taking driving lessons on snow'

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NATO

Sweden strikes deal with Turkey over Nato membership

Sweden has finally won the backing of Turkey's President Erdogan for its Nato membership, with a deal struck on the eve of the alliance's Vilnius summit opening the way for Turkish ratification "as soon as possible".

Published: 10 July 2023 21:40 CEST
Sweden strikes deal with Turkey over Nato membership

“President Erdogan has agreed to forward the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification,” Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after the deal was struck. “This is a historic step which makes all Nato allies stronger and safer.” 

At the press conference, Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson, said it had been “a long day in a long journey towards Swedish membership”. 

“I am extremely happy,” he said. “This is a good day for Sweden”. 

In a separate joint statement, Sweden repeated its commitments to help Turkey in its “fight against terrorism” making an addition pledge to support Turkey’s in its long-stalled efforts to join the EU. 

“Sweden will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkiye’s EU accession process, including modernisation of the EU-Turkiye Customs Union and
visa liberalisation,” the statement said.

In return, Turkey said it “will transmit the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly, and work closely with the Assembly to ensure ratification.”

Turkey has been holding up Sweden’s application to join the Atlantic alliance, accusing Stockholm of harbouring Kurdish activists Ankara regards as
terrorists.

And on Monday, Erdogan upped the stakes further, demanding that the European Union revive Turkey’s stalled EU membership bid as a precondition for Sweden joining Nato.

Shortly before the deal was announced Erdogan interrupted his talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to hold talks with Charles Michel, the President of the EU Council. 

Michel hailed a “good meeting”, adding that they had “explored opportunities ahead to bring EU-Turkey cooperation back to the forefront and re-energise our relations”.

Turkey has been a formal candidate to join the European Union since 2005, and an aspirant since long before that, but talks have long been stalled with little sign of life.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the agreement. 

“I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defence and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area,” he said in a statement, adding: “I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally.”

“The path for Turkey’s ratification of Sweden’s membership of Nato is finally clear,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on Twitter, hailing the “good news from Vilnius”.

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