Norway, Germany put critical underwater infrastructure on NATO agenda
“Hybrid attacks against critical underwater infrastructure pose a considerable threat to our economy, our communications, our energy supply,” German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius underlines in a meeting with Norway’s Bjørn Arild Gram.
The German Defence Minister this week met with his Norwegian colleague Bjørn Arild Gram in Brussels. On the agenda was the protection of underwater infrastructure.
The two ministers now push for a stronger attention in NATO on the strategically important infrastructure.
“Germany and Norway are determined to take this important work forward. As an Alliance, we have vast maritime areas in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the North and Baltic Seas. They are covered with undersea infrastructure ensuring the safe delivery of energy and communication,” Gram says in a comment.
“We need to continue to join forces,” he underlines.
During their bilateral meeting this week, the two men signed a statement that includes a proposal to further strengthen NATO’s role in the protection of the critical undersea infrastructure. The statement comes after Chancellor Scholz and Prime Minister Støre in November 2022 presented a proposal to then NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg.
The enhanced focus on the underwater communications and pipelines comes after the sabotage against the Nord-Stream pipeline in 2022 and the Baltic Connector in 2023.
The sabotage actions have shown the importance of critical undersea infrastructure for the stability of our economies, the security of our societies and the defence of our Alliance, the German and Norwegian defence ministries state.
The joint Norwegian-German initiative has contributed to the establishment of a NATO Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI) in May 2024.
The two countries now also propose the creation of five regional CUI Hubs for five maritime areas: Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.
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