Anniken Witfeldt
At a time of growing international tension, it is important to maintain contacts with Russia. This was stated by the head of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Anniken Witfeldt, reports TASS.
The diplomat said that she had her first meeting as Norwegian Foreign Minister with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “It is important that we continue to cooperate with Russia at a time when the level of conflict in this part of the world has intensified,” she said.
Witfeldt stressed that Oslo's policy towards Moscow has not changed under the new Cabinet headed by the Labor Party. Among the ways of possible cooperation with the Russian side, she named fishing and rescue at sea.
On December 3, the head of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced that the new government of the country opposes the movements of Oslo's NATO allies near the borders of Russia and plans to restrict them. “It is in Norwegian interests to take care of the defense of these areas independently, by the Norwegian armed forces,” she concluded.
