In the face of tensions with Russia, Norway is strengthening its security cooperation with the European Union in the Baltic Sea.

Norway announced on Monday its accession to the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), a cooperation framework designed to coordinate responses to common challenges, particularly in the area of ​​security. This decision comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions in Northern Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Although Norway is not a member of the European Union, it now joins the eight countries already committed to this initiative: Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Oslo thus hopes to strengthen its collaboration with its European partners in a region that has become strategic for continental security.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that this accession would "strengthen Norway's cooperation with the EU in a region that has become central to European and Norwegian security." He added that this participation would also open new avenues for collaboration in areas such as maritime cooperation, surveillance, and security.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Baltic Sea region has been subject to heightened vigilance. Several incidents involving submarine power cables, telecommunications links, and gas pipelines have fueled concerns among littoral states regarding the protection of critical infrastructure.

Created in 2009, the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea region aims to improve cooperation between the states in the area around multiple common challenges. The program intends, in particular, to promote a greener, more competitive, and more resilient region in the face of crises.

Among the stated priorities are maritime transport security, the reliability of energy markets, and the protection of the marine environment. Norway's entry into this structure is seen as a further sign of closer security cooperation between the Nordic countries and the European Union in the face of new threats in the region.