Nordic foreign ministers agree to co-operate more closely on emergency response for Nordic nationals abroad
At a meeting on Bornholm on 26 August, the Nordic foreign ministers decided to implement a number of measures to strengthen co-operation on assistance for Nordic nationals affected by emergencies abroad.
"I am pleased that we have agreed on a package of joint Nordic measures," said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen. "We have strengthened our emergency response system since the tsunami disaster. Closer Nordic co-operation and better co-ordination will put us in a better position to assist Norwegian and other Nordic nationals."
The measures are designed to equip the Nordic embassies and capitals with a set of practical tools for co-ordinating their efforts. They include co-operation in the following areas:
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Emergency response planning
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Providing consular services for each other’s nationals
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Joint transport home
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Exchange of information during emergencies
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Invitations to participate in emergency response courses and exercises held by the other countries. The Nordic embassies have been invited to participate in the exercise Barents Rescue in September.
More information on these measures is available at
www.odin.dep.no/ud.