Norway’s Foreign-Policy Circles of Interest

This chapter discusses Norway’s three traditional foreign-policy circles of interest: the Atlantic, the European and the Nordic. They have different strengths and meanings for Norway. But when it comes to the highest of all policy concerns—the security of the state—the Atlantic circle, with the all-important US security guarantee, has remained number one throughout since 1949 until this day. This has been the case despite the increased importance of the European Union for Norway, also within foreign and security policy. As a small, vulnerable state, with a history of being invaded by another country, it has maintained a relatively strong defence and not least put much emphasis on securing the good-will of its protector, the US. The European Union, on the other hand, has for decades been Norway’s most important partner in terms of trade and various political cooperation. The chapter also explores the country’s increasingly difficult relationship to China.