Norway participates in a project which will make it easier for military forces to cross borders in Europe

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– The security situation in Europe has underlined the need for improvements in military mobility, and work to this end is taken forward in NATO, our European allies and in the Nordic context. One of the weaknesses with the current system has been the procedures for cross border permission for military forces, which have been subject to large national variations. Success with military mobility requires close cooperation and military mobility has top priority in the cooperation between NATO and the EU, says the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Odd Roger Enoksen.

A project for overall coordination of military mobility in Europe has been established. Norway together with the US and Canada were admitted into the project in the spring of 2021, and finalization of the Administrative Arrangements opened up for full participation in the PESCO-project meeting on 14. December.

– Participation in this project on military mobility will contribute to European and Norwegian security. The system will serve Norwegian interests in relation to both NATO, key Allies, Nordic partners and the EU. The project will be in line with national sovereignty, and the decision to give foreign military forces access to Norwegian territory will continue to rest with Norwegian authorities, says Enoksen.