The Nordic countries
The Nordic countries are among the most affluent in the world, and represent a stabil and well-functioning part of a changing Europe.
"The Nordic countries" is the historical and geographical name of the area consisting og Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The area has over 26 million inhabitants in total and an area of around 3,5 million square kilometres. Combined, the Nordic economy equals those of Russia and Spain. The Nordic countries have a long history as a cultural community, for example expressed through the establishment of the Nordic Council in 1959 and the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1971. The countries operate as a coordinated political block in many international contexts, and they are affiliated with the Nordic Passport Union, the Council of Europe, the EEA, the UN, and the Schengen Treaty. However, while Norway, Denmark and Iceland are members of NATO, Finland and Sweden are not. And similarly, while Denmark, Sweden and Finland are members of the European Union, Iceland and Norway are not.
Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy is the core in NUPI's research on Nordic issues. Important questions are how the Nordic countries' different alliance policies affect their ability to cooperate in practice, and what possibilities the Nordic countries have as a block in international politics.
News about The Nordic countries
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How do the Nordics position themselves in the new European security landscape?
19 Mar 2020In a new joint report, researchers from NUPI and research institutes in the Nordics have investigated this.
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Comprehensive report on Nordic-China cooperation
2 Jan 2020Joint Nordic relations with China are evolving but have clear limitations.
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Analysis: Nordic Peacekeepers for Ukraine: Back in Blue?
16 Feb 2018- Richard Gowan
Could the Ukrainian crisis inspire a new generation of Nordic peacekeeping?
Publications about The Nordic countries
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Publication
: Academic lecture
Norway as an anergy actor in Europe and in the Baltic Sea region
A brief intervention at the conference organized by the Institute of Central Europe in Lublin, Poland on the role of Norway as an energy actor in Europe and in its role in the Baltic Sea region, on line webinar -
Publication
: Report
The Shifting Boundaries of Nordic Defence Cooperation
Nordic security and defence cooperation is shifting with the rapid rise and expansion of European defence cooperation. Spanning industrial collaboration, capability development, training and operations, planning, as well as other strategic measures, this new European momentum has manifested itself in... -
Publication
: Academic article
Staten, barnevernet og utenrikspolitikken. Fra indre anliggende til internasjonal konfliktsone
2020Norwegian diplomats spend a great deal of time and resources responding to international criticism against Norway’s child welfare services. Such cases can enter the foreign policy domain when the criticism is raised in a bilateral context, or authoritative institutions challenge Norway’s standing as...
Research projects about The Nordic countries
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Research project
When every act is war: Post-Crimea conflict dynamics and Russian foreign policy (WARU)
2020 - 2023 (Ongoing)Tension between great powers in world politics is escalating rapidly. What are the driving forces behind deteriorating relations? Can we explain them solely by the ‘aggressiveness’ of the other (be they...
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Research project
Mitigating Perceived Threats in Russian and Norwegian Public Discourse (THREAT-DEFUSER)
2020 - 2023 (Ongoing)THREAT-DEFUSER integrates state-of-the-art political science, linguistics, and media studies methods to forge a new multidisciplinary approach to hybrid warfare. The primary objective is long term strategic...
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Foto: Peter Ashley/Creative Commons/CC BY 2.0
Research project
Consequences of Investments for National Security (COINS)
2019 - 2023 (Ongoing)How can liberal open societies reap the benefits of open economies, but at the same time protect their legitimate security interests? In the project “Consequences of Investments for National Security”...