Meloni in Oslo says Italy and Norway will expand cooperation on energy, defence and security

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in Oslo that Italy and Norway are expanding cooperation across energy, defence, industry and strategic supply chains. She made the remarks during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, framing Norway as a key European partner for Italy and saying the visit was meant to continue work already under way.

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Meloni said Norway is Italy's fourth-largest gas supplier. She said Rome and Oslo want to broaden cooperation beyond energy into advanced technologies, strategic infrastructure linked to the transformation of energy systems, and critical raw materials.

She identified Norway's Fen deposit as an example of the opportunities she sees in that area. She said both countries want shorter and more secure supply chains with greater resilience to external shocks.

In her remarks, she linked that goal to what she called strategic autonomy and growth opportunities for both countries. She said the two sides are looking to pool expertise, technologies and mutual investments to create new opportunities for companies and economies.

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Meloni said the defence industry is another major area of collaboration because Italy and Norway belong to the same Atlantic family and share the same priorities. She said both governments must strengthen industrial capacity, develop competitive and complementary systems, and build supply chains able to support security requirements over time.

She also pointed to shipbuilding, saying cooperation there is already very solid. She said the undersea domain could open a new chapter, and that both governments want to accelerate cooperation in space.

She described these as sectors where the two countries have complementary skills and expertise. Meloni said the discussions also covered the geopolitical environment, including what she described as collaboration in Africa and in the Arctic.

She said Italy, as a Mediterranean nation, has its own Arctic strategy launched at the start of this year, while Norway is a northern nation that invests in Africa and pays close attention to African countries. On international crises, Meloni said Italy and Norway are working to strengthen the resilience of the Ukrainian people and support negotiation prospects toward what she called a just and lasting peace.

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She also said they discussed the crisis in Iran and the repercussions for Hormuz and the Red Sea, which she described as key hubs for security and important for economic and energy resilience. Meloni said the visit would continue with a dinner attended by representatives from major companies, who she said would exchange views on the strategic issues raised at the press conference.

She also noted the 100th anniversary of the Norge airship expedition, referring to Nobile and Amundsen, and said it was the first successful mission to the North Pole with an airship and an example of scientific cooperation between Italy and Norway.

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