German Chancellor and Canadian Prime Minister visit Norway

'Germany and Canada are important partners and close Allies, and I look forward to welcoming the German Chancellor and Canadian Prime Minister to Norway. Our three countries have many shared interests and values. In light of the serious security situation, we are seeking to further develop and strengthen our cooperation,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Programme

The trip will begin with a visit by Chancellor Merz and Prime Minister Støre to Andøya, where they will be briefed on activities at Andøya Space and discuss how to strengthen cooperation between Norway and Germany. After that, Mr Støre and Mr Merz will travel to Bardufoss, where they will be joined by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and will visit the NATO Cold Response exercise.

On Saturday, Mr Carney will visit Oslo, and on Sunday there will be a Nordic-Canadian summit. The Prime Ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland will be taking part in addition to the Norwegian and Canadian Prime Ministers.

Space cooperation

Mr Merz and Mr Støre will visit Andøya Spaceport, where they will be given a briefing on the facilities and a tour of the site where the German company Isar Aerospace is preparing for a rocket launch. Its launch vehicle is due to lift off between 19 March and 19 April and will be carrying a range of different satellites which will enter into Earth orbit.

The two leaders will also hold a bilateral meeting and a roundtable discussion with Norwegian and German business representatives from the space and defence industries.

'Satellites are vital for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, maritime safety and natural disaster management. They are also of crucial importance to our national security and defence capability. Norway and Germany are close partners in this field, and I look forward to discussing with the Chancellor how we can further develop our cooperation,' said Mr Støre.

Press Conference with Støre and Merz at Andøya 13 March at 10:30

Security and defence

In Bardufoss, the three leaders will be able to observe troops from different NATO countries training together during Cold Response, and will have an opportunity to meet Norwegian, German and Canadian soldiers. Cold Response is a Norwegian-led winter exercise that takes place in northern Norway and northern Finland once every two years. Around 25 000 soldiers from 14 NATO countries are participating in the exercise. The purpose is to train to receive Allied reinforcements and to be able defend Norway and the Nordic countries.

'In Bardufoss, we will meet soldiers from Allied countries who are working together to ensure our collective security. The Cold Response exercise is important in enabling us to test Norway's total defence system. It also demonstrates NATO's strength and unity across the Atlantic,' said Prime Minister Støre.

Over the past year, the seven Arctic NATO states have developed a common Allied position on NATO's presence in the Arctic. Mr Støre is pleased that the German Chancellor and Canadian Prime Minister will now have the chance to observe the winter exercise in the north first-hand.

'Security in the Arctic is crucial. This is a region where Norway and NATO work hard every single day to ensure the safety and security of all Allies. This type of training is essential in preparing Allied forces to cope with Norwegian conditions, especially during the winter months. It strengthens our collective security,' said Mr Støre.

Press Conference with Støre, Carney and Merz at Bardufoss 13 March at 15:25

Nordic-Canadian summit

On Saturday, Mr Carney and Mr Støre will be watching the 50km cross-country skiing race together in Holmenkollen.

On Sunday, Mr Støre will host a Nordic-Canadian summit in Oslo. Prime Minister Carney and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden will take part, in addition to the Norwegian Prime Minister.

'At a time of deep global uncertainty, it is important to strengthen cooperation between Canada, Norway and the other Nordic countries. We will be discussing the geopolitical situation, security in the Arctic, and cooperation between our countries,' said Mr Støre.

Nordic-Canadian Press Conference in Oslo 15 March at 11:30

The press conferences will be recorded by the Norwegian Central Government ICT Organisation (DIO) and may be watched live from this site.

Videos may also be downloaded from this site afterwards. DIO will distribute a publishing point to media outlets that wish to send the press conference live. DIO can be reached by telephone at +47 22 24 88 45 or by email at [email protected].

Media outlets that would like to embed the webcast can find the embed code by clicking the 'share video' button in the video player.