Déclarations à la presse de Jean-Noël Barrot, ministre de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, à l’occasion de son déplacement en Norvège

[Intervention de M. Espen Barth Eide, ministre des Affaires étrangères norvégien]

Thank you very much Espen for hosting me here in Bodø, which is an opportunity for us to cooperate, exchange views, in a moment where French-Norwegian relationships have never been so tight. One year after the visit of President Macron here, the strategic partnership has been signed, and the acceptance by the Prime minister of the offer that made the President Macron of the forward deterrence project, all of this is going to lead to further and further cooperation in the field of security, to the benefit of peace and stability on the continent and for the sovereignty of both countries. 

[Intervention de M. Espen Barth Eide, ministre des Affaires étrangères norvégien]

France is a polar nation, not an Arctic nation, and is fully aware that the security of our continent and therefore the security of France lies in part in the security of the high North. And this is the reason why I’ve been in Finland yesterday and I was in Norway yesterday and today, to strengthen our cooperation, to move forward in our connexions with our partners in the region, to work together towards more security, but more broadly to strengthen economic, scientific and cultural cooperation with these friends and partners that are the gateway to the high North and the Arctic. 

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Q - Il y a eu des incidents cette nuit, deux incidents, un en Lituanie et un au Danemark. Est-ce que ça nous dit la montée de la tension avec la Russie ?

R - Ce que je retiens surtout, c'est que dès lors qu'un drone est entré dans l'espace aérien de la Lituanie, immédiatement, il a été pris en charge et détruit par les forces militaires de l'OTAN, en particulier dans le cas d'espèce, un avion de chasse italien. Ce qui démontre que les Européens, l'OTAN, que nous sommes prêts à faire face à toute menace, d'où qu'elle vienne.

Q - La première ministre danoise regrette le tir de deux fusées éclairantes russes à partir d'un navire russe vers un hélicoptère danois. Vous soutenez cette démarche ?

R - Absolument, c'est une nouvelle provocation de Vladimir Poutine qui cherche à nous intimider et à nous désunir. Parce qu'il sait bien que les Européens, lorsqu'ils sont ensemble, au sein de l'Union européenne ou au sein de l'OTAN, rien ne peut leur résister.

Q - Une dernière question, le ministre polonais des Affaires étrangères, M. Sikorski, que vous connaissez bien, dit « mais nous sommes très forts en réalité, l'Europe, la Pologne, nous pourrions battre la Russie. » Est-ce que vous partagez son analyse ? Est-ce qu'il a eu raison de dire ça ? Et globalement, est-ce que c'est vrai que nous sommes prêts face à la Russie ?

R - Ce qui est vrai et ce qui est très clair, c'est que nous avons bâti avec l'OTAN l'alliance de sécurité défensive la plus puissante du monde. Et qu'il est donc impensable que quiconque puisse s'en prendre à la sécurité de l'Europe tant cette alliance est puissante.

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Q - How will the EU's security focus align with NATO's?

R - Well, they are very much intertwined because a number of EU members, almost all of them, are members of NATO. In that sense, the priorities of NATO that are set by member states are very closely aligned with the priorities of European countries. 

Q - What will Norway's role be in the EU's Arctic strategy? 

R - Well, I think that Norway, which is a very close partner to the EU, already plays a very significant role, a critical role as part of our Arctic strategy, starting with security. This is one of the reasons why I'm here today in Bodø after my trip to Rovaniemi yesterday in Finland. We are collectively responsible for European security and this is the reason why France has strengthened its relationships with the Nordic states in all dimensions, but in particular on security and defense cooperation over the past few years.

Q - Mr. Foreign Minister, how has your day in Norway been? Is it your first time being here?

R - It's not my first time in Norway. I came some time ago, like many French people, for holidays, but it was the first time as a Foreign Minister. I'm very grateful to my Norwegian colleague to have taken me up here in Bodø, where we have been given insights. on the level of the threat that the European continent is facing and how much cooperation between Nordic states and other European countries like France, how much this cooperation is valuable today for the security of the Arctic, for the security of Europe and for France's security.

Q - Many high-ranking military personnel and also ministers have been coming to Bodø and to northern Norway lately. What do you think that says about the region?

R - Well, I think this is great news. Not only do we have a lot to gain from cooperation in defence and security, as I just said, but beyond economic cooperation, cultural cooperation and scientific cooperation, we are here at the university, are very promising between France and Norway, and this is the spirit of the strategic partnership that was signed last year when President Macron visited Norway, but also between Norway and other European countries, other countries of the European family.