Norway said on Monday it has joined the European Union's Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), which aims to co-ordinate work around common challenges, including security aspects.
Norway, a non-EU country, will join existing members Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in the EUSBSR.
"Membership will strengthen Norway's co-operation with the EU in a region that has become central to European and Norwegian security," said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
The Baltic Sea region has been on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Joining the group provides new opportunities to participate in work on areas such as maritime co-operation, surveillance and security, Barth Eide added.
The EUSBSR was formed in 2009 to strengthen co-operation on common challenges and contribute to a "greener, more competitive, and more resilient region."
Its objectives also include the ensure "clean" and safe shipping and reliable energy markets in the region.
(Reporting by Nora Buli, editing by Terje Solsvik)
