Bodø Will Host Joint Expeditionary Force MoD Meeting
Norway's Minister of Defense, Tore O. Sandvik (Labor), will host the defense minister meeting in the Joint Expeditionary Force, which will take place in Bodø at the start of November. (Photo: Martin Steinholt / High North News)
Norway is hosting the defense minister meeting in the coalition Joint Expeditionary Force at the start of November. The defense ministers of the ten JEF countries will gather in Bodø to strengthen cooperation and security in Northern Europe.
On November 4th and 5th, the defense ministers from the ten JEF nations will gather in Bodø to strengthen cooperation and security in Northern Europe. That was revealed in a press release from the Ministry of Defense.
JEF, or the Joint Expeditionary Force, is a British-led cooperation between ten Nordic and Northern European countries sharing a joint focus on security in the High North, Northern Europe, and the Baltic states.
The main objective is to create a flexible defense force to react rapidly to crises in the region, as a supplement to the NATO cooperation.
Strengthening a joint defense
"In a time of increased uncertainty in our neighboring areas, cooperation within JEF is more important than ever. We look forward to welcoming our partners to Bodø to strengthen our common defence," says Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik.
Topics for discussion will include the security policy developments in the region, the need to enhance operational cooperation among participating nations, and how we together can further develop our collective preparedness.
British Royal Navy forces recently exercised in Northern Norway during the Tarassis exercise, which is a part of the Joint Expeditionary Force cooperation. During the exercise, the forces practiced amphibious operations, the protection of sea routes, and rapid reaction in demanding conditions along the Norwegian coast and the Baltic Sea. The Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando has also supported part of the Royal Navy training. (Photo: UK MOD).
Major JEF exercise in the North
As High North News reported, forces from JEF nations recently trained in Northern Norway for the Arctic Tide exercise, which was part of the major exercise Tarassis.
Tarassis is JEF's largest exercise since its establishment in 2014 and aimed to strengthen security, cooperation and preparedness in Northern Europe.
The activities, which lasted for about two months, covered the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea area and the Nordic region.
