News

Robert Spano elected to the Board of the Register of Damage for Ukraine

Robert Spano of Iceland was today elected to serve on the Board of the Register of Damage caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The election took place at the meeting of Participants of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage for Ukraine that took place in Strasbourg.…

Call for Applications for grants from the Development Fund for Immigrant Issues

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Immigrant Council invite applications for grants from the Development Fund for Immigrant Issues.

Construction started on barrier to protect the power plant in Svartsengi

Construction has started on a barrier to protect the power plant in Svartsengi from the possible consequences of a volcanic eruption.

Reykjavík Global Forum

The Reykjavik Global Forum, taking place in Harpa 13-14 November, has become an important venue for international discussions and networking on women's rights and gender equality. Over 500 participants from 80 countries attended the conference this year.

Government and tourist service provider emergency response plan activated

In light of the development of earthquakes in Reykjanes, the response plan for the authorities and the tourism industry has been activated. It aims to ensure an orderly and coordinated response by all parties in times of emergency.

Seismic activity in Reykjanes

Icelandic Civil Protection authorities have declared a state of emergency following increased seismic activity in Reykjanes Peninsula. During last night the town of Grindavik was evacuated as a preventive measure.

S&P Global Ratings Raises Iceland Ratings To 'A+ ' On Strong Growth and Fiscal Consolidation; Outlook Stable

S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Iceland ´s long-term foreign and local currency credit ratings to 'A+' from 'A'. The outlook is stable.

Iceland doubles contributions to the United Nations emergency response in Gaza and calls for an immediate humanitarian pause

The Government of Iceland has decided to double its financial contribution to the United Nations emergency appeal for Gaza. The decision was announced on 2 November during the 10th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the situation in the Middle East, where Iceland also reiterated the call for an immediate humanitarian pause.

Nordic digital resilience

The Icelandic people want to support Ukraine

An overwhelming majority of Icelanders, or close to 82 % of participants are in favour of Iceland supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia, while 7 % oppose. Additionally, 86.5 % support Iceland’s efforts in sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and 68.6 % are in favour of economic support for Ukraine.

Foreign Minister meets with the Chair of the NATO Military Committee

Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson held a meeting today with the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Among the topics discussed were NATO's deterrence and defence posture, the war in Ukraine, and security and defence in the North Atlantic and Arctic.

US fighter jets for Air Policing in Iceland

On Sunday 22 October a contingent of 120 United States Air Force personnel will arrive in Iceland with four F-16 Fighter Jets. For the next weeks they will conduct regular Air Policing in Iceland on behalf of NATO.

Iceland will contribute 70 million ISK in response to United Nations oPt emergency appeals

"The hostilities unfolding in Israel and Gaza affect hundreds of thousands of ordinary civilians. Iceland has condemned the barbaric acts committed by Hamas and reminded Israel that international law and humanitarian principles must be upheld. Iceland will contribute to vital humanitarian efforts in response to the situation that is growing more serious by the hour.…

The Minister for Foreign Affairs visits the new mobile field hospital for Ukraine

The Foreign Minister went on a two-day official working visit to Estonia last week. During the visit, she met with Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. Furthermore, the Minister visited the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre, where Iceland is one of the member nations, in the capital Tallinn.…

Policy on Design and Architecture - 2030

Sendiherra afhenti forseta Austurríkis trúnaðarbréf

Helga Hauksdóttir sendiherra afhenti í gærmorgun trúnaðarbréf til forseta Austurríkis, dr. Alexander van der Bellen. Athöfnin fór fram í Hofburg, forsetahöllinni í Vín.

Árni Þór Sigurðsson sendiherra afhendir trúnaðarbréf

Árni Þór Sigurðsson sendiherra afhenti í dag Margréti Þórhildi Danadrottningu trúnaðarbréf sitt sem sendiherra í Danmörku. Athöfnin fór fram í Fredensborgar-kastala norður af Kaupmannahöfn.

Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse

Today, on International Day of Democracy 2023, the undersigned country members of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse call attention to the pressing need to protect and promote women’s and girls’ right to participate in public life.

Iceland was the fastest growing European economy in the first half of the year.

Iceland was the fastest growing European economy in the first half of the year. 1Rapid growth has gone hand-in-hand with a buoyant labour market, with negligible unemployment and 30,000 more employed persons than in late 2020.

Government accounts 2022: improved performance and positive primary balance

The overall outcome of Part A-1 of the Government accounts for 2022 is nearly ISK 100m more favourable than was provided for in the 2022 National Budget, and about ISK 50bn better than estimated in late 2022.

Fitch Affirms Iceland at ‘A’; Outlook Stable

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Iceland´s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘A’ with a Stable Outlook.

Stricter conditions and increased supervision a precondition for continuing hunting of fin whales

Today, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir will issue a new Regulation intended to improve the framework for the hunting of fin whales.…

Commander of NATO's Allied Air Command visits Iceland

General James B. Hecker commander of NATO's Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) and the US Air Force Europe (USAFE) is visiting Iceland. Hecker met with Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs, where they discussed the war in Ukraine, NATOs enhanced deterrence and defence in the importance of Iceland for maintaining situational awareness in the North-Atlantic.

Increased services for Icelandic businesses abroad

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Business Iceland have made an agreement for Business Iceland to take over an increasing level of services for Icelandic businesses in foreign markets by recruiting trade counsellors in select cities. Under the agreement, responsibility for the professional coordination and supervision of these trade counsellors will be in the hands of Business Iceland.

Helga Hauksdóttir afhendir aðalritara CTBTO fulltrúabréf sitt

Sendiráð Íslands í Vínarborg lokað 15. ágúst 2023

US flight squadron deployed to Iceland

A Bomber Task Force (BTF) from the US Air Force is set to deploy to Iceland Sunday August 13th. The BTF will conduct exercises with allied nations in Northern Europe, and will be operating out of Keflavik. The BTF includes three B-2 Spirit aircraft which are accompanied by some 200 airmen. This is the third time that a BTF of this type has deployed to Iceland.

Helga Hauksdóttir afhendir framkvæmdastjóra Alþjóðakjarnorkumálastofnunar trúnaðarbréf sitt

Iceland increases its presence in Ukraine

The Ministries for Foreign Affairs for Iceland and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding that will grant diplomats and other representatives of Iceland access to office facilities at the Embassy of Lithuania in Kyiv.…

Embassy operations of Iceland in Moscow suspended

Operations of the Embassy of Iceland in Moscow have been suspended as of today. Countries represented by the embassy will be covered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland.

German flight squadron deployed to Iceland

A squadron of six Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the German Air Force will arrive in Keflavik to conduct a training mission in Icelandic airspace later this week. The German Air Force seeks to familiarize their crews and aircrafts with Icelandic airspace and operational challenges in the High North.…

Moody’s changes outlook on Iceland’s ratings to positive, affirms A2 ratings

Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) has today changed the outlook on Government of Iceland’s ratings to positive from stable and affirmed the local and foreign-currency issuer ratings at A2.

U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit in Helsinki, 13 July 2023

On 13 July 2023, the Presidents of Finland and the United States and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden met in Helsinki for the third U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit.

Icelandic Government advice following a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula

Today, at 16:40 GMT, a volcanic eruption started when lava began flowing from a ground fissure measuring about one kilometer long, between Litli-Hrútur peak and Mt. Keilir on the Reykjanes peninsula. The site of the eruption is close to where similar eruptions have occurred twice in the past two years.

Formennska Íslands í samráði NATO ríkja á vettvangi Öryggis- og samvinnustofnunar Evrópu fer vel af stað

Ísland fer með formennsku í samráði NATO-ríkja á vettvangi Öryggis- og samvinnustofnunar Evrópu (ÖSE) í Vínarborg í sex vikur, frá og með 1. júlí. Fyrsti fundur undir stjórn fastafulltrúa, Kristínar A. Árnadóttur, var helgaður stefnu og starfi NATO á sviði loftslagsbreytinga og öryggis enda eru þau mál í brennidepli á vettvangi ÖSE þessa dagana og til umræðu á NATO fundinum í Vilníus í næstu viku.

Iceland provides equipment for Ukrainian EOD teams

Iceland, together with the Nordic countries and Lithuania, has since March this year been leading an EOD training programme in Lithuania. Iceland has decided in connection with the training to provide roughly 50 million ISK worth of basic EOD equipment for the Ukrainian teams that can be used during the training and later brought back with the teams to Ukraine.

Alternate airport tax for domestic airport development adopted into law

Alþingi has approved the Minister of Infrastructure‘s parliamentary bill on the management and development of airports and air navigation services.

Excerpt from the annual Report of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation to the Icelandic Parliament.

Excerpt from the Report of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Parliament

The report provides an overview of Iceland's foreign relations and the main policy issues and events in that field in 2022.

Security Forum on Critical Undersea Infrastructure held in Iceland

Representatives from all the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) participant nations and partners came together at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, this week for a Security Forum on Critical Undersea Infrastructure. The forum brought together more than 70 experts for a structured facilitator-led discussions on hybrid threats to critical undersea infrastructure.

Joint Statement by the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada

Joint Statement by the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries and Canada following their meeting in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, 26 June 2023.

Nordic Defence Ministers meet in Iceland

The Nordic Ministers of Defence met in Iceland for a two-day meeting where they discussed Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, closer cooperation between the Nordic countries in security and defence matters, and the forthcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. Iceland hosted the meeting on behalf of the Swedish chairmanship of the Nordic defence cooperation (NORDEFCO).…

Hunting of fin whales suspended

The Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has decided to suspend hunting of fin whales until 31 August.

Nordic Prime Ministers joined by Prime Minister of Canada at annual meeting

On June 25-26th, the annual summer meeting of the Nordic Prime Ministers will be held in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a special guest.

Prime Minister of Iceland nominated as WHO Champion

Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, has been appointed WHO Champion for the Well-being Economy Initiative for the next two years. The initiative aims to shift attention to actions that improve the well-being of our societies and ensure a healthy, fairer and prosperous future for the coming generations.

Joint statement by Joint Expeditionary Force ministers

Defence Ministers from Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) partner nations met in Amsterdam today to discuss the current situation in Ukraine and explore how the JEF can respond to, and further mitigate, the security threats to our nations, including hybrid challenges.

Iceland suspends embassy operations in Moscow

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland has decided to suspend operations of the Embassy of Iceland in Moscow from August 1st.

Iceland submits its first Adaptation Communication to the UNFCCC

Iceland has submitted its first Adaptation Communication to the UNFCCC, allowing Iceland to communicate its progress on adaptation planning processes and the implementation of actions.

JEF deploys its Headquarters to Iceland

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) led by the United Kingdom with the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries and the Netherlands will exercise the deployment of its London-based headquarters to Iceland in June.

Training for Ukrainian soldiers in combat medicine

Iceland has joined a UK-led training programme for Ukrainian soldiers. The programme aims to train trainers in combat medicine so that they can pass on their knowledge to other soldiers in the field.