NATO Secretary General with the Prime Minister of Norway 🇳🇴 Jonas Gahr Støre, 30 MAY 2023

Joint press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, 30 May 2023. 🗣 | NATO Secretary General: Prime Minister Gahr Støre, Dear Jonas, It is great to see you again, it’s good to be back in Oslo, and a pleasure to be the guest of the Norwegian government. Last time Norway held a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, you were the host. And thank you for inviting us again. And also for your leadership and personal commitment to our Alliance. Norway makes valuable contributions to our shared security. Norwegian forces serve in our multinational battlegroup in Lithuania. You contribute to our air-policing missions. And you play a key role in the High North. And you host important exercises as demonstrated with the visit of the USS Gerald Ford just now. Today in our meeting, we addressed Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. Norway provides significant aid. I welcome that you have committed to a five-year assistance program. This is something that really makes a difference. With military support. As well as financial and humanitarian assistance. And this is something which we all very much appreciate. I am confident that with the support of NATO Allies, Ukraine can continue to liberate occupied land. And prevail as a sovereign, independent nation. At our NATO Summit in Vilnius we will demonstrate our long-term commitment to Ukraine. The war has made clear Norway’s essential role as a major energy provider for Europe. And you, Jonas, have played a key role in driving NATO’s work on protecting our critical undersea infrastructure. Including energy pipelines. We also discussed the need to invest more in defence. I welcome the commitment by Norway to reach the 2% target by 2026. I expect that when we meet in Vilnius, we will agree a new Defence Investment Pledge. Where 2% of GDP for defence is a floor, not a ceiling. Because we need to recognize that 2% is a minimum to meet the obligations as a NATO Ally. We also discussed Sweden’s accession to NATO. Sweden will become a member. All Allies have invited them to join. And their security is already stronger as a result. I am in close and constant contact with Turkish authorities, to ensure that Sweden becomes a full member as soon as possible. This is important for Norway’s security. It is important for the whole Nordic and Baltic region. And it is important for NATO. Let me also address Kosovo. We strongly condemn the unprovoked attacks against KFOR troops in northern Kosovo, which led to 30 peace-keepers being wounded. Such attacks are unacceptable and must stop. KFOR, the NATO forces, will take all necessary actions to maintain a safe and secure environment for all citizens in Kosovo. And we will continue to act impartially, in line with our United Nations mandate. We have decided to deploy 700 more troops from the operational reserve force for Western Balkans. And to put an additional battalion of reserve forces on higher readiness, so they can also be deployed if needed. These are prudent steps to ensure that KFOR has the forces and capabilities it needs to fulfill its mandate. Violence sets back Kosovo and the entire region, and puts Euro-Atlantic aspirations at risk. Both Pristina and Belgrade must take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation. Refrain from further irresponsible behavior. And engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue, which is the only way to lasting peace. So once again, thank you so much, Jonas, for hosting us, and for a very substantive and fruitful meeting. Thank you.