The European Union and Iceland sign a Security and Defense Partnership Agreement

On March 18, local time, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas and Iceland’s Foreign Minister Gunnarsson Dóttir jointly signed a Security and Defense Partnership Agreement in Brussels. It is understood that the EU and Iceland will strengthen cooperation in areas including Arctic stability, maritime surveillance and civil defense, and cybersecurity. On August 29 of this year, Iceland will hold a nationwide referendum on whether to restart accession negotiations with the EU. Previously, Iceland launched the “accession” process twice in the 1970s and again in 2009, but both attempts came to nothing. Some analysts note that, affected by geopolitical uncertainty created by the U.S. government, public support in Iceland for restarting “accession” talks has risen rapidly. At present, Iceland is part of the Schengen Area and a member of the European Economic Area. (CCTV News)