News

Defence of the Government of Iceland in the Icesave case

<p>The Government of Iceland has lodged with the EFTA Court its statement of defence in the Icesave case. The statement is submitted in response to the application lodged by the EFTA Surveillance Authority and forms the basis of Iceland’s defence.</p>

Increased cooperation on Arctic affairs between Iceland and France

<p>France and Iceland have agreed to reinforce their cooperation on arctic matters. This was discussed at a meeting today in Paris between Össur Skarphédinsson, Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Alain Juppé, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of France.</p>

Treasury finances January-November 2011

<p>Statistics for Treasury finances for January-November 2011 are available.</p>

Treasury finances January-December 2011

<p>Statistics for Treasury finances for January-December 2011 are available now.</p>

Foreign Minister Skarphéðinsson met with Danish Minister for European Affairs

<p>Icelandic Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson, met yesterday with Nicolai Wammen, Denmark's Minister for European Affairs.</p>

First meeting of the consultative group for Iceland‘s accession negotiations

<p>The consultative group for Iceland‘s accession negotiations with the European Union held its first meeting at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Friday the 24th of February. The chairperson of the group is Salvör Nordal, philosopher and director of the Centre for Ethics at the University of Iceland.</p>

Statement on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries at the Friends of Syria conference in Tunis, 24th of February 2012

The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Villy Søvndal, today delivered a statement on behalf of the five Nordic countries and the three Baltic states at the “Friends of Syria” conference held in Tunis to discuss the deteriorating situation in Syria.

Male Violence against Women in Intimate Relationships in Iceland

In 2006, the Icelandic government adopted an action plan for measures to combat violence against women in intimate relationships, based on the concept that violence against women affects everyone in society and will not be tolerated.…

Commissioner for Human Rights visits Iceland

<p>Commissioner for Human Rights for the Council of Europe, Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, met with Icelandic officials and non-governmental representatives Wednesday and Thursday February 8 and 9.&#160;</p>

Interim Report by the collaborative groupmonitoring welfarein the Suðurnes region

<p>This interim report describes the situation in the Suðurnes region three years after the economic collapse of the autumn of 2008.…

Gender equalityin Iceland

Information on Gender Equality Issues in Iceland issued by Centre for Gender Equality Iceland.

A meeting of the Hoyvik Council in Reykjavik

<p>At the annual meeting of the Hoyvik Council, held in Reykjavík yesterday, Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson&#160; and Kaj Leo Johannesen, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands, discussed increased trade between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.</p>

Iceland´s bond issue last June still draws great attention

<p>EuroWeek magazine has selected the bond issue of Iceland among the best in their choice of the best bond issues for 2011.</p>

Cyprus supports Iceland's application

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Össur Skarphéðinsson met with Ms. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, during his official visit to Cyprus. Ms. Kozakou-Marcoullis pledged full support of Iceland's application for EU membership during Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Parliamentary resolution on a four year gender equality action programme

<p>The Althing resolves under Article 11 of the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men, No. 10/2008, to adopt the following governmental action programme on gender equality for the years 2011– 2014.</p>

2012 - Fiscal budget information

<p>Information regarding 2012 budget proposal.</p>

Towards a strategy to prevent dropout in Iceland - Result of the OECD Iceland Workshop Preventing dropout in upper secondary schools in Iceland

The Icelandic national curriculum guide for preschools : 2012

New Minister of Finance

<p>Mrs. Oddný G. Harðardóttir, is Iceland´s new Minister of Finance. She was appointed on the 31. December 2011 and is the first woman in Iceland to hold this position. She is a member of The Social Democratic Alliance and has been member of the Parliament since 2009.</p>

Foreign Minister's official visit to Romania

Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Össur Skarphéðinsson, met with the Romanian Foreign Minister, the speaker of the Romanian Parliament and the Minister of European Affairs, during his official visit to Romania. At the meetings, Foreign Minister Skarphéðinsson discussed the use of funds from the EFTA Development Fund to commence geothermal projects in Romania.

Ambassador Gudmundur Árni Stefánsson presented today the Letters of Credence to President Obama

Ambassador Gudmundur Árni Stefánsson presented today to the Honorable Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America, the Letters of Credence accrediting him as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Iceland to the United States of America at the Oval Office.

Tim Ward QC Instructed in the Icesave Case

<p>The Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson today announced his decision to instruct Tim Ward QC as lead counsel in the infringement proceedings brought to the EFTA Court by the EFTA Surveillance Authority concerning minimum deposit guarantees on the Icesave accounts.</p>

Debt statistics 2003-2012

<p>Central government debts and assets 2003-2012, tabel 9.</p>

Last tranche of Nordic loans disbursed to Iceland

<p>The bilateral loan facilities negotiated between the Nordic countries and Poland, on the one hand, and Iceland, on the other, in connection with the authorities' IMF-supported economic programme, amount to a total of €1,930 m.</p>

Cabinet reshuffle

<p>A new Cabinet was unveiled in Iceland on 31 December. During the reshuffle former finance minister Mr Steingrímur J. Sigfússon was named Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture as well as Minister of Economic Affairs. Mrs Oddný G. Harðardóttir was promoted into Cabinet as&#160; Minister of Finance.</p>

Iceland Recognizes Palestine

<p>Össur Skarphéðinsson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, and Dr. Riad Malki, the Foreign Minister of Palestine, today formally confirmed the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Iceland and Palestine. The Icelandic Foreign Minister presented to Dr.…

Icesave dispute to the EFTA Court

<p>EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has today announced in a press statment that it will refer to the EFTA Court a dispute regarding the alleged breach of Iceland of the Deposit Guarantee Directive in relation to the Icesave accounts of fallen Landsbanki Islands.</p>

Foreign minister meets with Palestinian counterpart Dr. Riad Malki

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Össur Skarphéðinsson, met today with Dr. Riad Malki, the Palestinian Foreign Minister. At the meeting the ministers discussed relations between Iceland and Palestine and ways to restart the Middle East peace process.

Treasury finances for January - October 2011

<p>Statistics for Treasury finances for January - October 2011 are available now<br> </p>

Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs visits Iceland

<p>Dr. Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, will visit Iceland on 14-16 December 2011 on the invitation of Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson. During the visit Foreign Minister Malki will meet with Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, as well as Foreign Minister Skarphéðinsson.</p>

Quarter of the chapters closed in Iceland's Accession negotiations with the EU

<p>The third meeting of the Accession Conference between Iceland and the EU at Ministerial level took place earlier today in Brussels. The Icelandic delegation was led by Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson. Discussions took place on five chapters of the accession negotiations, four of which were provisionally closed.</p>

Icelandic and Chinese leaders hail 40 years of diplomatic relations

The presidents of Iceland and China and the foreign Ministers of both countries exchanged congratulatory messages Thursday, December 8, to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

18th OSCE Ministerial Council held in Vilnius

The 18th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was held in Vilnius, Lithuania on 6-7 December 2011. The Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Member States agreed to strengthen the cooperation with Afghanistan and other OSCE Partner countries, including those in North Africa.

Cooperation with the Icelandic Red Cross

<p>The 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent was held between 28 November and 1 December 2011&#160; in Geneva. The conference convened under the banner "Our World. Your move".</p>

Palestinian appreciation for Iceland´s initiative

<p>Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson has received a letter from Dr. Riad Malki, Foreign Minister of Palestine, where Minister Malki expresses his appreciation to Minister Skarphéðinsson and to the Althingi for the support given to an independent Palestine.</p>

Iceland and Russia: communication cable, adoption, the Arctic and geothermal energy

<p>Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson met yesterday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow. The meeting was a part of the Foreign Minister's official visit to the Russian Federation.&#160;The Foreign Minister had earlier signed an agreement that facilitates trade in dairy products from Iceland to Russia.</p>

Parliamentary resolution on an independent and sovereign Palestine

<p>The Parliament of Iceland has approved a resolution put forth by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Össur Skarphéðinsson, in which the Government is entrusted with recognising an independent and sovereign State of Palestine within the pre-1967 Six Day War borders. The resolution was adopted without objections, with 38 votes in favour and 13 abstentions.</p>

Iceland honors the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

A working group set up by the Minister of the Interior organized a ceremonial event in Reykjavík last Sunday, 20 November on the occasion of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which at the iniative of UN is held on the third Sunday of November each year since 2005.

Decision on a Request to Purchase Land

<p>The Ministry of the Interior has answered a request by the <i>Beijing Zhongkun Investment Group</i> on 31 August for granting a legal exemption as regards purchasing a share in the estate Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum, in all an area of 30,639 hectares. Because of discussion on this matter, the Ministry wishes to point out the following:</p>

Meeting with Ireland's European Minister

<p>Today, Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson met with Ms. Lucinda Creighton, Minister of State With Special Responsibility for European Affairs in Ireland. The Ministers discussed measures the European Union has taken to deal with the debt crisis and the current situation and prospects ahead in the eurozone.</p>

Statistics for Treasury finances January - September 2011

<p>Statistics for Treasury finances for January - September 2011 are available now<br> </p>

Foreign Minister meets Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation

The Icelandic Foreign Minister, Mr Össur Skarphéðinsson, met last Tuesday with Mr Alexander Grushko, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation in Reykjavík. The two ministers discussed the relations and cooperation of Iceland and Russia, especially in terms of international trade, the High North and energy affairs.

Foreign Minister signs an agreement with the United Nations University on the UNU Geothermal Training Programme

<p>Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson, Dr. Konrad Osterwalder, Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) and Dr. Guðni A. Jóhannesson, Director General of the National Energy Authority today signed an agreement on the extension of the cooperation between Iceland and the UNU on the UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP).</p>

Welfare for the future.&nbsp;Priorities 2010 - 2013

<p>This report is the&#160;second update of the Icelandic Government's 2002 strategy for sustainable development, which bears the title Welfare for the Future.…

Nordic countries concerned about measures against Palestinians

The five Nordic foreign ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East today, focusing particularly on relations between Israel and the Palestinians in the wake of this week's vote in UNESCO.

Denmark supports Iceland's EU aspirations

<p>Össur Skarphéðinsson Minister of Foreign Affairs in Iceland and Villy Søvndal the newly appointed Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with the Denmark's new Minister for European Affairs, Nikolai Wammen, met today at the sidelines of the Nordic Council Session in Copenhagen.</p>

The Prime Minister and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Prime Minister of Denmark met in Copenhagen today

<p>The Prime Ministers discussed the accession negotiations between Iceland and the European Union, as Denmark is the upcoming presidency for the first half of 2012.</p>

Order of priority claims under the Emergency Act deemed valid

The Supreme Court of Iceland today ruled in a case concerning the Emergency Act of October 6th 2008. The ruling entails that the law and associated acts stands undisputed. Since the Supreme Court is a court of last instance no legal uncertainty remains.

Iceland's responsibility towards developing countries

<p>Iceland commemorates the 40th anniversary of Iceland's development cooperation, 30th anniversary of the Icelandic Development Agency (ICEIDA) and tenth anniversary of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit.</p>

First steps - Important information for citizens moving to Iceland

<p>The booklets cover important and useful information in seven languages for immigrants planning to settle in Iceland. The information is presented both in Icelandic and the foreign language in each booklet.</p>