(L-R) Maxime Prévot, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Tom Berendsen, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs; Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs; Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade;
Credit: MAE
On Friday 18 September 2026, Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade reported on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel's recent working visit to Norway and Iceland alongside his Dutch and Belgian counterparts.
The visit, which took place from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 September 2026, followed Minister Bettel's participation in Prinsjesdag (Prince's Day) in The Hague and was organised at the initiative of the Dutch Presidency of the Benelux. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen and Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot accompanied Minister Bettel during the trip.
According to the ministry, In Oslo, Norway, the three foreign ministers met their Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Eivind Petersson. Discussions focused on Norway's relations with the Benelux countries, cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Norway, Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Arctic.
The ministers also exchanged views with students at the University of Oslo on foreign and European security policy in the High North. Their programme included a visit to the Andøya Space Center in northern Norway.
Minister Bettel said: "It is essential that the European Union, together with like-minded countries such as Norway, adopts a holistic approach to the situation in the Arctic, taking into account all aspects of current developments in the region." He also stressed that tackling climate change must remain a priority in the Arctic.
In Reykjavik, Iceland, the three foreign ministers, reportedly, met Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and held a working meeting with Foreign Minister Katrín Gunnarsdóttir.
Their discussions focused on Iceland's relations with the three Benelux countries, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Iceland's referendum on resuming negotiations on accession to the European Union and the situation in the Arctic.
Following the meeting, Minister Bettel said: "We have a relationship based on our shared values, and we must continue to work together to advance our common priorities. Iceland will remain one of the EU's closest partners, and we will continue to work together for the benefit of our citizens."
The ministers also visited the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, one of Iceland's green energy production sites, as well as the Keflavik military air base.
