Defense ministers from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, along with foreign ministry representatives of Iceland, signed a new military cooperation agreement in Copenhagen on Thursday local time, as reported by Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
The agreement was inked to streamline the deployment of military forces among the participating nations during times of peace, crisis, and conflict.
Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said that day that Norway could receive and deploy allied forces across the region as quickly and effectively as possible if needed.
The development of military transport corridors will bolster the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s defense and deterrence capabilities, he added.
Nordic countries ink new defense pact in Copenhagen
Nordic countries ink new defense pact in Copenhagen
Song Tao, the mainland's senior Taiwan affairs official, on Wednesday called on Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots to actively participate in cross-Strait exchanges and jointly strengthen China's economy.
Song, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a seminar for Taiwan businesspeople in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The mainland will provide new opportunities and broad prospects for the development of Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots, and improve the mechanisms and policies for exchanges and cooperation in cultural and economic sectors between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Song said.
He called on Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots to uphold the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, and to take a clear-cut stance against separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and external interventions.
At the seminar, representatives of Taiwan's industry and commerce organizations, enterprises and young entrepreneurs pledged to participate actively in cooperation and integrated development of industrial and supply chains on both sides of the Strait, and to achieve high-quality development.
They also expressed the willingness of Taiwan compatriots and enterprises to make new contributions to boosting cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Taiwan senior official urges business community, compatriots to jointly strengthen China's economy
