The agreement was signed by Norway's Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik and Canada's Minister of Defence David J. McGuinty, and aims to strengthen the countries' defence cooperation.
– I am pleased that we are now strengthening our ties with Canada as an important partner in space cooperation. In a more serious security environment, we must stand united with our allies to defend NATO's territory. This enhances our defence capability, says Norway's Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik in a press release.
The cooperation will, among other things, develop the use of space-based services, such as satellites and other systems, to improve surveillance and situational awareness in the Arctic. According to the Norwegian government, the space domain is becoming increasingly important for securing security interests in the northern regions.
The agreement is based on the countries' shared security interests in the Arctic and aims to strengthen both national defence and cooperation within NATO. The goal is also to improve deterrence and defence capabilities in the region.
The Nordic Defence Sector (NDS) has previously reported on the expanded cooperation between Canada and the Nordic countries, which was presented in a joint statement over the weekend.