Relationship dossier
Iceland
Norway
Relationship assessment
Iceland and Norway sustain close cooperation on maritime affairs and defense.
Iceland toward Norway
+55Iceland negotiated the 1981 agreement with Norway delimiting the continental shelf and fisheries zone between Iceland and Jan Mayen, including arrangements for fisheries cooperation. Iceland also signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Norway in 2007.
Norway toward Iceland
+55Norway negotiated the 1981 agreement with Iceland delimiting the continental shelf and fisheries zone between Iceland and Jan Mayen, including arrangements for fisheries cooperation. Norway also signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Iceland in 2007.
Overall relationship
+55The relationship is supported by durable bilateral arrangements on maritime boundaries, fisheries and defense, alongside broader Nordic and Euro-Atlantic cooperation. The bilateral agreements provide a substantial foundation for sustained cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Iceland and Norway maintain a close relationship through Nordic and Euro-Atlantic cooperation. Their bilateral cooperation includes the 1981 agreement delimiting the continental shelf and fisheries zone between Iceland and Jan Mayen, with provisions for fisheries cooperation, and a defense cooperation agreement signed in 2007. These arrangements provide a durable basis for cooperation on maritime and security matters.
Key developments
Iceland and Norway agreed on the delimitation of the continental shelf and fisheries zone between Iceland and Jan Mayen, with provisions for fisheries cooperation.
Iceland and Norway signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the bilateral defense cooperation agreement are unclear.
- The current operation and scope of fisheries cooperation under the Iceland–Jan Mayen arrangements are unclear.