The Icelandic Coast Guard, in close coordination with the Defence Directorate of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and NATO Allied Command Operations, is tracking the movements of a Russian naval vessel currently operating outside Iceland's  territorial waters but within its Exclusive Economic Zone, including in the waters between Iceland and Greenland. The vessel in question is the Russian intelligence ship Yuri Ivanov, which was observed monitoring NATO exercises in the North Atlantic last week. The ship carries limited armament and is primarily tasked with intelligence gathering and surveil…

Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The HonourableAnita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs;Penny Wong, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs;Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs;Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s  Minister of Foreign Affairs;Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs;Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs;Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs;Baiba Braže, Latvia’s Minister for Foreign Affa…

On 1-3 June 2026, the NATO Military Committee, led by its Deputy Chair (DCMC), Lieutenant General Winston P. Brooks, visited Iceland, including the NATO Radar and Communication site in Bolungarvík. Welcoming the Military Committee to Iceland, Chief of Defence Jónas G. Allansson emphasized the growing importance of Allied cooperation in the North and steps Iceland has taken to deepening its response to shared security challenges. "Iceland remains committed to hosting and enabling Allied operations while contributing to NATO’s situational awareness in the GIUK Gap. The visit of the Military Com…

The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs will host a conference at Harpa Concert Hall tomorrow, 2 June, to mark the publication of a report on Iceland’s currency options. Prepared by a panel of international experts, the report examines the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining an independent currency compared with joining a larger currency area, such as the euro area. Its purpose is to provide a solid foundation for an informed national discussion on the future of Iceland’s monetary system. The conference is open to all and free of charge.It will be streamed live and recorded.The …

On 29 May 2026, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy met for the 23rd Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Sopot, Poland, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland. The Council reiterated in the strongest terms its condemnation of Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – a CBSS observer state –…

The Consular Service is one of the legal cornerstones of the Foreign Service. It provides protection and assistance to Icelandic citizens in emergencies and augments Icelandic citizens' access to the services of Icelandic government agencies overseas. the scale of the Consular Service's tasks has expanded considerably along with the evolution of Icelandic society and new global challenges, which is why a regularly reviewed Consular Service Strategy has been developed. The first Consular Services Strategy was formulated in 2019, taking into consideration the challenges current at that time, fo…

Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir, Minister of Justice, and Oleksiy Gavrysh, Ambassador of Ukraine to Iceland, held a productive meeting at the ministry earlier this month, where they discussed various issues relating to Ukrainian refugees in Iceland.At the meeting, the Minister reiterated its firm and continued support for Ukraine, its sovereignty, and its people. She also reviewed the proposed amendments to the legislation on collective protection in situations of mass displacement. The proposed amendments are intended to clarify the legal nature and scope of residence permits granted under …

The Government of Iceland has approved anew industrial policythat sets out a long-term vision for economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness to 2035. The policy is intended to support sustainable economic development and create a more predictable environment for investment and business activity. It is accompanied by anaction plan for 2026–2027containing 35 measures across a range of sectors. Key priorities include strengthening energy supply and infrastructure, simplifying regulation and licensing processes, supporting innovation and export-driven industries. The Government aims to …

The transatlantic relationship, increased defence spending, more equitable burden-sharing among allies and continued support for Ukraine were among the main topics at the NATO foreign ministers meeting that concluded in Helsingborg, Sweden, today. Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs, participated in the meeting on Iceland´s behalf. The foreign ministers discussed the follow-up to the decisions of the NATO Summit in The Hague last summer on significantly increased defence spending and how European Allies and Canada are now shouldering an increased burden on the Allianc…

Recognizing the security challenges and economic opportunities in the Arctic and the High North, the Arctic Allies met to discuss our efforts to build a secure and prosperous region. The Arctic is quickly becoming a sphere of increasing geopolitical strategic importance. With Russia´s increased military activity and China´s growing strategic interest, we seek to bolster stability in the Arctic region. We are enhancing our military presence, surveillance capabilities, and joint training in the Arctic and the High North. We do so in a coordinated and calibrated way. We support NATO’s increase…

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Nordic-Baltic countries firmly reject Russia’s blatant disinformation campaign and false claims, supported by Belarus, following the airspace violations in the Nordic-Baltic region. We strongly condemn Russia’s threats of the use of force directed at Latvia and other countries in the region. Incidents involving drones entering NATO airspace are a direct consequence of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The Nordic-Baltic countries have never allowed their territory or airspace to be used for these attacks against targets in Russia. Russia s…

1. Today in Oslo, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the Acting Prime Minister of Denmark, Ms. Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister of Finland, Mr. Petteri Orpo, the Prime Minister of Iceland Ms. Kristrún Mjöll Frostadóttir, and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Ulf Kristersson, held the 3rd India-Nordic Summit hosted by the Norwegian Prime Minister. This Summit builds upon the previous two Summits held in Copenhagen in 2022 and Stockholm in 2018. 2. The Prime Ministers noted that they are meeting at a time of global geopoliti…

Today the Republic of Iceland issued a new €500 million 5 year benchmark bond, equivalent to ISK 72bn. The transaction was issued at a spread of 34-basis points to the Euro 5-year mid-swap rate. The proceeds will be used to strengthen the Central Bank of Iceland’s international reserves and refinance the outstanding Eurobond maturing in June. The issue reflects the new strategy of the Government’s Medium-Term Debt Management Policy, which aims to issue annually in the international markets. Investors showed strong interest, with demand exceeding EUR 6bn, more than twelve times the issue size.…