Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide on the terrorist attack in Nice

I emphasised Norway’s full solidarity with France and our deep sympathy with the French people, who have experienced such tragic attacks so soon after the terrorist murder of Samuel Paty.

We must uphold our common values and human rights, and we must never give in to terrorists. We strongly condemn the attack and the acts that were committed today.

The Government stands in solidarity with the French nation. We remain resolute in our defence of universal human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. We all share the responsibility for safeguarding these rights.

We are concerned by the fact that freedom of expression is coming under attack in so many parts of the world. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to work together to combat this trend. This is a responsibility shared by political and religious leaders alike.

In the light of these developments, the Government has started work on updating the strategy for Norway’s international efforts to promote freedom of expression.

We are taking steps to promote and safeguard freedom of expression across the world. We provide support for many courageous human rights defenders. In recent years, the Government has allocated over NOK 70 million annually to efforts to promote freedom of expression.