Brev til Europakommisjonens president

Brevet i pdf-format

Dear President Juncker

I am deeply concerned about the grave situation in the Mediterranean. The latest tragedy, in which more than 800 people lost their lives, has once again drawn attention to the desperate situation for refugees and migrants attempting to reach Europe.

I fully support that the EU has now placed this issue high on the political agenda. I welcome the recent EU initiatives, including the Ten Point Action Plan on Migration. This challenge must be addressed through a coordinated European response.

Norway will bear our share of the responsibility. As part of the joint European effort, the Norwegian Government has decided to contribute one civilian vessel to Operation Triton in the Mediterranean. Frontex initially identified a need for a vessel from 1 August. However, Norway is prepared to provide a vessel as soon as possible. The vessel will be made available initially for six months. We will maintain close dialogue with Frontex concerning the practicalities.

Norway will also provide approximately €6.25 million in humanitarian aid to the efforts to alleviate the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean region.

We look forward to continuing the close cooperation between Norway and the EU on these issues. We will continue to follow the developments closely, and welcome a dialogue on how we can further contribute.

Yours sincerely

Erna Solberg

 

 

 

Mr Jean-Claude Juncker
President of the European Commission
Brussels