During the Conference, in a panel co hosted with Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, Minister Sikorski presented an assessment of the challenges facing Northern Europe and the North Atlantic Alliance in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, geopolitical instability, and the transformation of the global balance of power. Norway, which is Poland’s strategic partner in Northern Europe, supports—just as Poland does—strengthening NATO’s defence and deterrence capabilities and expanding the Alliance’s military presence on its eastern and northern flanks. The country remains one of Poland’s most important security and defence partners in Europe, as demonstrated by close cooperation between the armed forces and defence industries. 

“I come here with a simple message: Poland also looks North. We’re willing to develop our bilateral cooperation with Norway even further,” Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski said as he opened his address at the Oslo Security Conference.

During the bilateral meetings, the participants discussed the current state of Polish–Norwegian relations, which for several years have been marked by high intensity and multidimensional cooperation. The two countries share strong political cooperation—including in the fields of security, defence, the economy, and culture. High-level consultations ae held regularly, both bilaterally and in the framework of broader international initiatives. The talks with representatives of the Norwegian government also centred around such issues as security in the Baltic Sea region, protection of the Baltic’s critical undersea infrastructure, the shadow fleet, and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

During a joint press conference, the foreign ministers of Poland and Norway expressed support for embattled Ukraine and stressed the importance of combatting the shadow fleet and the threats it implies for regional security and the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Poland’s top diplomat thanked Norway for its military contribution to securing the operations of the Rzeszów airfield and emphasised that the 20th sanctions package must be adopted as soon as possible.

“I encourage Norway to play a bigger role in holding off the shadow fleet. The fleet does not consist of any shadows but clunkers posing a real threat for the Baltic,” stressed Minister Sikorski.

Before he left Oslo, Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski met with representatives of Norway’s large Polish community that encompasses more than 140 thousand Poles and people of Polish descent. The head of Polish diplomacy thanked the attendees for preserving the Polish language and traditional customs and for actively participating in community life. He also outlined the key principles of the Government Strategy for Cooperation with the Polish Community and Poles Abroad, including in regard to returns to the country.