The Netherlands and Norway signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership on 7 September in Middelburg, the Netherlands. Prime Ministers Rob Jetten and Jonas Gahr Støre put their names to a broad bilateral agreement covering defence, maritime cooperation, cybersecurity, critical raw materials, AI governance, and energy security. It is the first formal strategic partnership declaration between the two countries.
The declaration covers a striking range of ground. On defence, it commits both countries to deeper cooperation within NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, including joint Arctic exercises and countering Russia’s shadow fleet. On maritime security, it targets the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the North Sea, zero-emission shipping corridors, and industrial cooperation on autonomous vessels and offshore wind. On technology, the two governments will coordinate on AI governance, quantum research, and international standard-setting for trustworthy digital systems. On critical raw materials, they will strengthen supply chains and expand export controls on sensitive technologies. The cybersecurity chapter commits to joint exercises, information sharing, and coordinated protection of critical infrastructure.
For anyone sitting between these two countries, professionally or personally, the breadth of this agreement is worth noting. The Netherlands and Norway are aligning on nearly every strategic question that matters right now: energy, defence, technology sovereignty, and supply chain resilience.
SOURCE: Norwegian Government (regjeringen.no), 7 September 2026. https://www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new/joint-declaration-on-the-strategic-partnership-between-the-netherlands-and-norway/id3172890/
