As a “safe, democratic and reliable partner” in terms of supply Germany and Europe he energetically described Norway Chancellor Olaf Soltz asking the government in Oslo to expand production natural gas to reduce dependence on Russia. Norway “offers the maximum of its potential,” objected Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stere.

Mr. Solz, from Oslo, where he is on an official visit, said he was grateful that Norway had increased its production following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

“This is very important to reduce our dependence on Russian natural gas,” the chancellor said, adding that Norway’s commitment to maintain high production levels is equally important, as demand will remain correspondingly strong next year. “I am very happy because in Norway we have a safe, democratic and reliable partner to supply Germany and Europe with energy,” he said, adding that the two countries want to expand their cooperation in the field of renewable energy.

On behalf of the Norwegian government, Prime Minister Jonas Gaar Støre stressed that his country is “offering the maximum of its potential” by already increasing production by 10%, while clarifying that a safe increase in production is not a purely political decision, as the companies concerned must agree. “In order to increase production, it is necessary to increase new deposits of natural gas,” Mr. Stere explained, but assured that “Norway is working to be a stable supplier of natural gas to Germany.”

Natural gas, continued the Prime Minister of Norway, is a stable source of energy only during the transition period. Germany has “taken on the daunting task of developing renewable energy,” said Mr Stere, while warning of a “difficult and tumultuous” transition away from fossil fuels. “Almost anything that can be converted to energy will be converted to energy,” he said.

The European Union imports about 20% of its natural gas consumption from Norway. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Norwegian Energy Ministry has adjusted the production licenses of three large offshore fields in order to increase natural gas production. But, according to Oslo, the potential of production and pipelines is now being fully exploited. In Germany, the share of Norwegian natural gas has reached 30%, making Norway the largest supplier, as Russia now supplies about 1/5 of the agreed volume through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.

Germany and Norway, according to the two leaders, intend to expand cooperation in the field of military equipment in the near future. Jonas Gahr Stere said that his country had relied heavily on German technology for decades and expressed interest in further cooperation in the area of ​​submarine construction.

As for Ukraine, the two countries are closely coordinating their actions, said Mr Solts, who previously met in Oslo with all the heads of government of the Nordic countries within the framework of the Nordic Council. The seven leaders declared their determination to continue to support Ukraine, denouncing Russia “for its brutal war of aggression and violation of the rules-based international order” and viewing the provision of electricity and natural gas as a “project of European solidarity.”

However, on the issue of issuing tourist visas to Russian tourists, a divergence of opinion was found. “The war is Putin’s war, not the Russians’, and the thought of a complete visa ban can also make life difficult for those who want to leave Russia because they don’t agree with the war,” Olaf Soltz explained. On the other hand, Scandinavian leaders expressed a different view. “Ordinary Russians did not start the war, but they support it. It is not right that Russian citizens can come as tourists to the EU, travel to the Schengen area and go sightseeing, while Russia is killing people in Ukraine,” said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who proposed the EU — along with Estonian counterpart Kaji Kalas – visa ban for Russians. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seemed to agree with her point of view.

Today the German Chancellor is going to Sweden. The talks will focus on the imminent accession of this country and Finland to NATO.

^{Source: RES-IPE}