Joint Statement, EI2-meeting in Oslo

JOINT STATEMENT

EUROPEAN INTERVENTION INITIATIVE

MEETING OF THE MINISTERS OF DEFENCE

7 December 2022, Oslo, Norway

The European intervention initiative (EI2) has been launched to create a common strategic culture allowing able, willing and close partners to act together. With the war returning to Europe, those goals are more than ever relevant. Facing these new security challenges in Europe, it is necessary to enhance our efforts and update our strategic approaches.

Today, Ministers of Defence, or their representatives, of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom met in Oslo, under the presidency of Norway. During three working sessions, they exchanged views on current security and defence challenges, debated EI2’s future and conducted a scenario-based discussion.

The Ministers or their representatives exchanged their analyses on the war in Ukraine and agreed on the necessity to support Ukraine on a long-term basis. They also reaffirmed their support towards Swedish and Finnish memberships to NATO, which will reinforce the security in the Baltic and Nordic regions, and recalled their support in the process.

The Ministers or their representatives were briefed by France on the security situation in Western Africa. They also exchanged views on European strategy in the region to fight against terrorism. They affirmed EI2 as a useful forum to discuss our competitors’ presence in the area.

Regarding the future of EI2 cooperation, the Ministers or their representatives agreed on the further development of the initiative in developing a strategic culture in line with the current and foreseeable security challenges for Europe. Sweden and Finland also presented the results of the working group on disinformation.

Lastly, a scenario-based discussion allowed the Ministers and their representatives to have a dynamic, open and frank conversation on a fictive scenario, based on today’s strategic context. This first edition of a scenario-based discussion was a good opportunity for all the partners to share their understanding on the situation and exchange their national approaches to develop a common strategic culture.