Norway will also increase its funding for nuclear safety and security cooperation with Ukraine by 150 million kroner…reports Asian Lite News
Norway has announced to provide 250 million Norwegian kroner ($23 million) this year to support nuclear safety and security efforts in Ukraine, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.
“A nuclear accident in Ukraine would have consequences not only for Ukraine itself, but also beyond the country’s borders,” she said in a press statement on Monday.
Of the allocated funds, 100 million kroner will be used in support to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This financial assistance will help ensure the continued presence of IAEA experts in Ukraine, said the statement.
IAEA experts are present at the Chernobyl site, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and Ukraine’s three other operational nuclear power plants, Xinhua news agency reported.
Norway will also increase its funding for nuclear safety and security cooperation with Ukraine by 150 million kroner, the statement added.
Over the last few days, plumes of smoke have stretched from Canada across Greenland, Iceland and made their way to Norway…reports Asian Lite News
Smoke from the raging wildfires in Canada, which has already blanketed parts of the US and placed around 75 million people under alerts due to hazardous air, has reached as far as Norway, according to scientists.
Over the last few days, plumes of smoke have stretched from Canada across Greenland, Iceland and made their way to Norway, CNN quoted the scientists at the Climate and Environmental Research Institute in Norway (NILU) as saying on Friday.
They have been able to detect the increase in smoke using very sensitive instruments and then confirm its origin using forecast modeling.
People in Norway may be able to smell and even notice the smoke as a light haze but, unlike parts of the US that have seen hazardous pollution, they should experience no health impacts, Nikolaos Evangeliou, a senior scientist at NILU, told CNN.
“The fires traveling from such long distances arrive very diluted,” he added.
Over the coming days, the plume is expected to spread across swaths of Europe but it’s unlikely people will be able to smell or notice the smoke, Evangeliou noted.
It is however, not unusual for wildfire smoke to travel long distances, the scientist told CNN, adding that “smoke from wildfires such as those in Canada is injected at high altitudes thus staying in the atmosphere longer and able to travel over far distances”.
In 2020, smoke from California’s record-breaking wildfires was detected in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago located deep inside the Arctic Circle.
Meanwhile, Canadian authorities on Friday reported 10 new wildfires, which brought the total number to 2,405.
In its latest update, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said there were 422 active wildfires on Friday, down from 431 on Thursday.
The number of out-of-control wildfires fell to 219 on Friday from Thursday’s 234, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the update. On Friday, there were 89 wildfires being held and 114 under control.
Wildfires have so far devoured about 45,000 square km of land in Canada, making 2023 one of the worst years for wildfires on record, according to the centre. In Alberta, unsettled weather brought new starts.
Hot and dry windy weather was across the north, and extreme fire weather is expected. In Ontario, two larger fires in the far north were receiving some limited suppression action and ignition. More lightning fires from existing and new lightning are expected, the centre said.
Norway has been at the forefront of holding discussions concerning the developments in Afghanistan…writes Rahul Kumar
Western nations and Afghan stakeholders will meet in Norway in mid-June to discuss Afghanistan’s current situation and the Taliban’s governance issues – which will complete two years in power this August.
To be held in Norwegian capital Oslo, the meeting will also discuss the promises the Taliban made to the international community since it took over the reins of power in the aftermath of the US and NATO withdrawal post the US-Taliban peace accord in Doha, Qatar, in February 2020.
With the meeting, the Western nations want to keep the doors of dialogue open with the Taliban in a bid to persuade it to join the mainstream of global governance. Currently, the Taliban has not been given recognition by the world over keeping minorities out of governance and disallowing girls and women from education and work.
Norway has been at the forefront of holding discussions concerning the developments in Afghanistan.
The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland recently travelled to Kandahar in Afghanistan to speak with Taliban leaders about allowing women to work. The Taliban administration had prohibited women from working in international aid and UN organisations in compliance with Islamic laws.
In January 2022, Norway had invited a 15-member Taliban delegation for talks with Western diplomats, inviting questions whether it was providing legitimacy to the ostracised group. Norwegian diplomats, however, defended the closed-door talks as icebreaking, saying these would pave the way for an improvement in the human rights situation in the country, which faces one of its worst humanitarian conditions due to natural disasters, reduced aid and a boycott of the Taliban regime.
More recently, leaders of the European Union (EU) and Central Asian Region (CAR) met in Kyrgyzstan to discuss, among other things, how to stabilise the situation in the landlocked nation. They shared their worries over the export of terrorism from Afghanistan even as they stressed on the need for more humanitarian aid for the Afghan people.
Barely a month back, India had joined a two-day closed-door conference on Afghanistan with 20 other countries led by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to discuss the Afghan crisis. Worried over the deteriorating situation in the South Asian nation, the UN organised the meeting in Doha, Qatar, along with the US, Russia, China and other nations.
With the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, nations have voiced apprehensions over international peace and security, including the illicit drug trade and the proliferation of terrorism. Afghanistan’s close relations have eroded considerably with regular border clashes with eastern neighbour Pakistan.
Along with security, countries have been voicing their fears over the deteriorating conditions for the people due to conflict, droughts and an unstable economy. Thousands of Afghans have been leaving the country in a desperate bid to head to Europe and as far as the US.
The $7 billion of modern weapon systems left behind by the US during its hasty withdrawal too has spread unease among its neighbours.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
Besides highlighting Pakistan as a future threat, Norway has identified Islamist extremist violence as a mounting threat….reports Rahul Kumar
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) has listed Pakistan as one of the countries that pose a significant threat to Norway.
Greek website Directus says that the threat assessment report 2023 prepared by the PST – Norway’s domestic security service, points to several threats to Norway’s security, both domestically and internationally. The department identifies and assesses threats related to intelligence, sabotage, spread of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and extremism.
The website says: “Islamabad has the dubious distinction of appearing in the list for the last few years. It is perceived to be posing a threat to Norway in terms of proliferation of sensitive technology. Norwegian businesses, researchers and research institutes possess knowledge and technology that are sought after for the development of advanced weapons systems and weapons of mass destruction”.
Analysts say Norwegian suspicions may been raised because of Islamabad’s dubious track record on nuclear proliferation marshalled by none other than the rogue Pakistani atomic scientist AQ Khan, who had stolen the blueprints for nuclear technology from Norway’s southern neighbour – the Netherlands.
While working at the Physical Dynamic Research Laboratory (FDO) in the Netherlands in the seventies, Khan copied blueprints for centrifuges and other components and quietly slipped back to Pakistan. Both American and Dutch intelligence agencies got wind of Khan’s intentions. Eventually, a Dutch court even convicted Khan to four years in prison in absentia for nuclear espionage.
After getting Islamabad and the Pakistani military the nuclear devices, Khan is believed to have proliferated nuclear documents to Iran, Libya and North Korea at an individual level.
The crisis-ridden Pakistan is increasingly being looked at suspiciously by global powers due to rising violence, political immaturity of its leaders, strong separatist movements and the tattered state of its economy.
In April this year, Norway’s neighbour Sweden had closed its Islamabad embassy indefinitely due to security concerns. A statement on the embassy website simply said: “Due to the current security situation in Islamabad, the Embassy of Sweden is closed for visitors”.
In February this year, China also shut down the consular section of its Islamabad embassy due to poor security. Simultaneously, Beijing advised its nationals to enhance personal safety measures as violence mounted across the country by the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in the north-west and the Baloch insurgents in the south-west provinces.
Pakistan’s reputation as a global threat is now at its peak. In October 2022, US President Joe Biden had said that the country is one of the most dangerous nations. Speaking with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Biden had said: “What I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world, Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.
The sentiments about Pakistan being a threat are now being echoed openly across the world.
The Directus website says that Pakistan can harm Norway in two ways – install its researchers in academic and research institutions in Norway to obtain sensitive technology and transfer it to Pakistan for the development of weapons systems.
The other route Pakistan is likely to take is to circumvent Norwegian export control regulations in a bid to obtain banned Norwegian technology. For this, the website says: “The modus operandi is to create as much uncertainty as possible around the actual end user of the good. One method is to establish a highly complex corporate structure, with nominee and front companies and complicated supply chains. Another is to use an unusual freight route to transport the product to its final destination that makes it very difficult to detect breaches of the export control regulations”.
AQ Khan
Besides highlighting Pakistan as a future threat, Norway has identified Islamist extremist violence as a mounting threat. Another Norwegian website, The Local says: “China, Iran, Pakistan, and several other states conduct active intelligence efforts in Norway”.
Among the threats arising from various countries, It has also mentioned likely terrorist plots being carried out by “extreme Islamists” who feel offended at the Quran burning incidents. The Norwegian police says: “However, the most relevant targets for extreme Islamist terror will still be civilian crowds, institutions, or people who are perceived to insult the religion of Islam, as well as uniformed police and defence personnel in public spaces”.
Regarding Islamist violence, the PST report says: “In Norway, we expect such events to occur in 2023. Debates and events in Norway that are perceived to inhibit religious practice will also reinforce the perception that the West is at war with Islam. When such events occur in Norway, the likelihood of radicalisation and ultimately terrorist plots against Norway increases”.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
The move is part of the US administration’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the Nordics and the Arctic Area….reports Asian Lite News
The US will open its first diplomatic post in Tromso, a northern city of Norway, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“To deepen our own engagement in the high North, I am announcing today the US will be opening an American presence post in Tromso,” Blinken told reporters on Thursday during a press conference held after a two-day informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo, capital of Norway.
With a population of more than 77,000, Tromso is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third most populous city in the Arctic Circle.
The move is part of the US administration’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the Nordics and the Arctic Area.
The American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered super carrier just finished a seven-day visit to Oslo this week.
.@SecBlinken announced today that the United States intends to open a U.S. presence post in Tromsø. This post represents a commitment to deepening our engagement with Norway and to underscore the significance we place on the Arctic region as a whole. pic.twitter.com/eua5VTm7pf
Norwegian media reported that the aircraft carrier is heading North along the nation’s coast and taking part in the Arctic Challenge Exercise (ACE) 2023, which will involve nearly 2,700 personnel and more than 150 aircraft.
The US maintains an embassy in Oslo. Norway maintains an embassy in Washington D.C., along with consulates in New York, Houston and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said that Sweden should become a full member of the NATO military alliance as soon as possible.
“There is absolutely no reason for holding Sweden back,” she said on the eve of a two-day NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Oslo. “Sweden fulfils all the criteria.”
Sweden applied to join the alliance in May 2022, alongside its traditionally neutral neighbor Finland. While Helsinki’s bid was ratified in April 2023, Stockholm’s has been held up by Hungary and Türkiye, as all NATO member countries have a veto on any new accession.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom is hoping new anti-terrorism legislation which comes into force this week should help Sweden overcome the Turkish veto.
“This new legislation will close a loophole in our already existing anti-terrorist legislation,” Billstrom told reporters in Lulea, northern Sweden. “Sweden has not previously prohibited participation in a terrorist organization. We will do this now.”
Türkiye says Sweden harbors members of militant groups it considers to be terrorists. The new legislation will make it illegal to arrange meetings or provide logistical or financial help or even food to outlawed groups.
The wide scope of the law has sparked concerns in Sweden about whether it could infringe freedom of speech and other fundamental rights, but the government hopes it will convince newly re-elected Turkish President Rcep Tayyip Erdogan to green-light its NATO membership before July’s Vilnius summit.
Apart from Eric Garcetti, Qatar’s Ambassador to India Mohammed Hassan Jabir Al-Jabir and Monaco’s Ambassador Didier Gamerdinger, Monaco presented their credentials to the President…reports Asian Lite News
India appointed three new envoys for three different countries, the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Norway.
Bharath Kumar Kuthati, a 2006 batch IFS officer, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Botswana. Another one is Vinod K Jacob, a 2000 batch IFS officer, presently Deputy High Commissioner in the High Commission of India, Colombo has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Acquino Vimal, who is also from the 2000 batch, an IFS officer, is presently Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Beijing. He has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Norway.
All three are expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and envoys of Qatar and the Principality of Monaco on Thursday presented their credentials to President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu accepted credentials from the Ambassadors of the United States of America, Qatar and Monaco at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.
Apart from Eric Garcetti, Qatar’s Ambassador to India Mohammed Hassan Jabir Al-Jabir and Monaco’s Ambassador Didier Gamerdinger, Monaco presented their credentials to the President.
Garcetti, former mayor of Los Angeles, was sworn in by US Vice President Kamala Harris as the new US Ambassador to India in March this year. Earlier, the Senate confirmed his appointment as the next US ambassador to India.
On Garcetti’s arrival in India, Indian Embassy in the US tweeted, “Namaste, Ambassador-Designate Eric Garcetti! We’re thrilled to welcome you to #IncredibleIndia and work with you to build even stronger ties between our two great nations.”
The US Embassy in India had been without an ambassador since January 2021, which is the longest stretch in the history of US-India relations that the post remained vacant.
Kenneth Juster had stepped down after the change of government in the United States. (ANI)
Norwegian Ambassador Robert Kvile was summoned to the Ministry in protest over Oslo’s decision to expel 15 Russian diplomats from the Russian Embassy…reports Asian Lite News
Russia has declared 10 diplomats working at the Norwegian embassy and military attache’s office in Moscow personae non gratae, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Norwegian Ambassador Robert Kvile was summoned to the Ministry in protest over Oslo’s decision to expel 15 Russian diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Norway and military attache’s office, the Ministry added on Wednesday.
“This hostile step further aggravated the situation in our bilateral relations, which are currently at a critically low level,” it said.
The Ministry added that it would take other measures in response to Oslo’s hostile actions, including potential restrictions on hiring Russian staff at Norwegian diplomatic missions.
Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats on April 13. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said the embassy staff were expelled for “engaging in activities that were not compatible with their diplomatic status”.
As per the spokesperson, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs views Moscow’s decision to expel ten Norwegian embassy workers as a response to Norway’s recent move to expel 15 Russian embassy employees on allegations of espionage.
On Wednesday, Russia summoned the Norwegian ambassador and conveyed a ‘strong protest’ regarding Norway’s decision, as per a statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry.
The Russian foreign ministry stated that the expulsion of Norwegian diplomats is a ‘hostile step’ that has worsened the already strained bilateral relations between the two nations.
According to Simenstad from Norway’s ministry, the Russian decision is regarded as a retaliatory action, as all Norwegian diplomats in Russia engage in regular diplomatic activities, which the Russian authorities are aware of.
The base, about 65km south of Tromso, will be able to accommodate all personnel from the elite, commando-led Royal Marines force, which reacts to emerging crises in Europe…reports Asian Lite News
A UK military base has opened in the far north of Norway to strengthen Nato’s capabilities in the Arctic after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Named Camp Viking, the newly established Norwegian site will serve as a centre for Royal Marines Commandos, Britain’s Royal Navy said.
The Navy said the troops were “the tip of the Arctic spear” and “the unit the UK turns to when it needs troops able to fight in cold weather extremes”.
“A new Arctic operations base will support Britain’s commandos for the next 10 years as the UK underscores its commitment to security in the high north,” it said.
Norway, which borders Russia, refuses to host permanent bases for foreign soldiers, hence the time limit for Camp Viking.
The base, about 65km south of Tromso, will be able to accommodate all personnel from the elite, commando-led Royal Marines force, which reacts to emerging crises in Europe.
“The camp’s location is ideal for deterring threats in the region and situated so the UK can respond rapidly if needed to protect Nato’s northern flank and its close ally, Norway,” the Navy said.
About 1,000 commandos have been sent to the base this winter.
Norway’s Defence Ministry said the base had previously been used by Nato allies and then Dutch Marines. “The camp is Norwegian and financed through Norwegian infrastructure and operational funds,” a ministry spokeswoman said. A founding member of Nato, Norway regularly hosts allied troops for combat training in extreme cold.
The country, which shares a 198km border with Russia, has provided Ukraine with a wide range of military equipment, including artillery and ammunition.
The Ukraine conflict prompted its eastern neighbours Finland and Sweden to apply for Nato membership in May 2022, ending decades-long policies of military non-alignment.
In Ukraine, the state-owned company Naftogaz will be the formal recipient…reports Asian Lite News
Under an agreement signed, Norway will provide 2 billion Norwegian kroner ($195.4 million) to fund Ukraine to purchase natural gas this winter, the Norwegian government said in a press release.
Norway’s Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum and Juergen Rigterink, first vice president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), signed the agreement on Monday to channel the funds through the bank and then to Ukraine.
According to the press release, the funds are expected to be used to make direct payments to European gas suppliers that have received prior approval and will invoice for the volume of gas delivered.
In Ukraine, the state-owned company Naftogaz will be the formal recipient.
“Ukraine has specifically asked Norway for support for the procurement of natural gas this winter. The timing is critical, and we are very pleased that the EBRD is to be our partner in carrying out gas purchases,” Vedum was quoted in the press release as saying.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in July that his government would allocate 10 billion Norwegian kroner (NOK) to Ukraine in 2022 and 2023. Of this sum, two billion NOK have been earmarked for gas procurement.
PM Modi will then head to Paris for a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, France’s newly re-elected President…reports Asian Lite News
Norway’s skills and India’s scope provide natural complementarities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday as he met Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store.
The meeting, which was held in Copenhagen on the sidelines of the 2nd India-Nordic Summit, was the first between the two leaders since the assumption of office by Prime Minister Store in October 2021.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Ministers reviewed the ongoing activities in bilateral relations and discussed future areas of cooperation. Prime Minister Modi highlighted that Norway’s skills and India’s scope provided natural complementarities.
Both leaders discussed the potential for deepening engagement in areas like Blue Economy, renewable energy, green hydrogen, solar and wind projects, green shipping, fisheries, water management, rainwater harvesting, space cooperation, long term Infrastructure investment, health and culture, the MEA said.
Discussions also took place on regional and global developments. As members of UNSC, India and Norway have been engaging with each other in the UN on global issues of mutual interest, the MEA added.
The Prime Ministers of India, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway will attend the second India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen, which will follow up on the first summit held in Stockholm, Sweden in 2018.
PM Modi will then head to Paris for a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, France’s newly re-elected President.
Prime Minister Modi has attended bilateral meetings with the leaders of Germany and Denmark, as well as addressed Indian diaspora gatherings in both Berlin and Copenhagen, during his current visit.
