Norway joins the defense cooperation European Intervention Initiative. The goal of the non-binding cooperation is to become better at dealing with crisis situations.
France took the initiative for the cooperation, which started last year, and on Friday Norway and Sweden became member countries number 11 and 12.
“This is a collaboration that aims to gather and share information to be better prepared for any crises. It is important for us to be involved in such initiatives when it comes to crisis thinking and crisis management,” says Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen (H) to NTB on the way from the meeting in the Dutch Hilversum where Norway was admitted as a member.
Does not replace NATO
The initiative, which goes under the abbreviation EI2, is a non-binding cooperation, and decisions to participate in operations must still be decided by each member state. Nor is it a replacement for NATO, which will continue to be the cornerstone of Europe’s collective defense, says the prime minister.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
