Europe’s Von der Leyen strengthens Arctic security ties with Iceland during visit

In the latest move underscoring growing European attention to Arctic security, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Iceland Thursday for high-level talks with Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir.

The visit focused on strengthening cooperation in security and defense — including in the Arctic — as Europe faces continued pressure from everything from climate, to the Ukraine war, to the U.S administration’s ongoing rhetoric about taking over Greenland.

The goal of this week’s meeting was to discuss a security and defence cooperation declaration between Iceland and the EU that could be concluded by the end of the year. 

“Iceland and the EU already have good cooperation in most of these areas, but the cooperation declaration will further strengthen the cooperation and put it into more concrete terms,” Frostadóttir said in a statement. 

Northern security and defence top concerns 

Meeting at the strategically located Keflavík security zone, von der Leyen and Icelandic leaders discussed boosting coordination on Arctic affairs, maritime security, infrastructure resilience, and Iceland’s potential involvement in EU defense projects.

The EU has already concluded eight similar agreements with other partner countries, including Canada, which, like Iceland, is an Arctic nation and NATO member.

“This declaration will increase the visibility of the cooperation and underline that Iceland is among the EU’s closest partners in the field of security and defence,” Frostadóttir said. 

“This is also part of increasing Iceland’s capacity to shoulder burdens within the Atlantic Alliance and therefore an important step in building our own resilience.”

Search and rescue in Iceland 

Von der Leyen also toured the country’s highlands with the Icelandic Coast Guard and civil protection teams, to get insight into the complex environment that response teams must navigate when battling fires on the Reykjanes Peninsula or responding to emergencies in areas like Grindavík, which have faced repeated natural disasters in recent years.

The visit also marked the  launch of a review of Iceland’s trade terms with the EU. Foreign Minister Gunnarsdóttir said marine products were a longstanding priority for Iceland’s fishing-dependent economy.

“It is certainly a milestone for us to embark on this review, as we have long been seeking easier market access for marine products to the EU on a permanent basis, instead of temporary duty-free quotas as are currently negotiated at regular intervals,” she said.

Iceland’s Minister of Industry Hanna Katrín Friðriksson also signed a declaration this week to boost cooperation with the EU on fisheries and marine issues. Talks are underway to explore a bilateral agreement on fishing rights — mirroring similar arrangements Iceland has with Greenland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands.

Addressing increasing worries over undersea cable security 

The leaders also discussed Iceland’s participation in the EU’s secure satellite communications initiative, something the island nation is pushing for to reduce their reliance on the fragile undersea cables they rely on for global connectivity.

“This collaborative project is extremely urgent for us Icelanders, who are committed to ensuring the security of our submarine cables,” Frostadóttir said.

“If they are disrupted, it is essential for the functioning of the national economy to ensure permanent access to fast, secure and cost-effective satellite communications worldwide. This plan increases our communication channels with the outside world and strengthens telecommunications security.”

Von der Leyen also announced a forthcoming review of the EU’s Arctic policy and stressed Brussels’ desire to work more closely with Reykjavik on environmental and regional priorities beyond 2030.

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: More soldiers, more money. Canada’s top soldier extols benefits of spending boost, CBC News

Denmark: Danish general says he is not losing sleep over US plans for Greenland, Reuters 

Greenland: Europeans step up Arctic diplomacy amid U.S. and global pressure, Eye on the Arctic

Finland: Finland hails plan for allies to join NATO land forces in North, The Independent Barents Observer

Iceland: Iceland’s FM announces defence review, calls revamped security policy ‘urgent’, Eye on the Arctic

Norway: Deterrence Norway joins NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Lapland, The Independent Barents Observer

Russia: Drone attack on Russian warplanes, including in Arctic, serious blow to strategic arsenal, The Associated Press

Sweden: Nordic-Baltic region joins forces around Sweden’s CV90, The Independent Barents Observer

United States: White House releases U.S. Arctic strategy implementation plan, Eye on the Arctic