Norway is pleased to note that the US Senate has given its consent to ratification of the New START Treaty with Russia on reductions in the number of strategic nuclear arms. (Photo: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre)
- This is important for our collective security,” says Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The treaty is the first disarmament agreement to be concluded between the US and Russia in almost 20 years. It limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads that can be deployed by the parties to 1 550, a reduction from 2 200 under the previous treaty. The US and Russia hold more than 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. It is therefore vital that these two countries take the lead and reduce their arsenals.
“Reductions in nuclear arsenals are important for our collective security. I regard the treaty as the beginning of a broader disarmament process that encompasses all categories of nuclear weapons. The goal is a nuclear-weapon-free world,” Foreign Minister Støre says.
“It is important that Russia now follows suit and ratifies the treaty so that it can enter into force as soon as possible,” says Mr Støre.
Floodwaters and mud slides have halted the rail services between Oslo and Trondheim in both directions. The trains between Hamar and Røros have also been interrupted.
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The Norwegian government has submitted a formal request to the Norwegian parliament (Storting) for authorization to procure six F-35 Lightning II aircraft for delivery in 2017.
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A new report shows that the Intelligence Service of the Norwegian Defense has illegally monitored two journalists from the Norwegian newspaper VG.
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Cyber spies have allegedly attacked the personal computers of several top leaders of the Norwegian Telenor Group, and copied all the contents, including passwords and personal data.
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52 percent of Norwegian women oppose a proposal that military service should be compulsory for females. Men, however, are more positive towards equal military duty for both genders.
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Only seven percent of the Norwegian veterans who served in Afghanistan struggle with psychological problems after four years of military service, a recent report shows.
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The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) confirms that there is a conflict between the military and the police when it comes to who should have the lead in in the fight against terror in Norway.(Photo: Head of PST Benedicte Bjørnland)
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The Norwegian Defence Command on Thursday strengthened the level of preparedness at all Norwegian military installations to level Alfa (lowest level), following intelligence information from NATO.
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A fresh poll shows that nearly half of those asked are open for the use of Norwegian military forces in a war against extreme Islamists in North Africa.
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