HELSINKI, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Amid rising transatlantic tensions, the Nordic Council on Thursday adopted a resolution calling for closer cooperation with Canada on Arctic affairs, crisis preparedness and sustainable development.
The resolution, proposed by the Council's Centre Group, calls for establishing a Nordic-Canadian dialogue forum and holding joint committee meetings with Canada's federal and provincial parliaments.
During the debate, Truls Vasvik, a Norwegian member of the Nordic Council's Social Democratic Group, stressed the importance of strengthening ties with trusted partners "in a world where established long-term friendships can disintegrate."
Vasvik compared the proposed partnership with the Nordic countries' established cooperation with the Baltic States, noting that Canada also shares a border with an increasingly unpredictable neighbor, the United States.
Ann-Sofie Alm, a Swedish member of the Nordic Council's Conservative Group, highlighted the shared values and security interests of the Nordic countries and Canada.
"Who could have thought only a few months ago that Canada would have to consider how to defend itself against the United States?" she said.
The resolution comes as Canada seeks closer partnerships with European countries amid deteriorating relations with Washington.
According to the European Council, the European Union (EU) and Canadian leaders are expected to deepen cooperation in trade, digital technology, defense and security at their summit in Montreal on Oct. 29-30.
The Nordic Council also unanimously adopted a recommendation on Thursday calling for stronger North Atlantic crisis preparedness and security of supply. It urged Nordic governments to develop a joint supply security plan and strengthen transport and logistics cooperation to keep air and maritime connections operating during crises.
The decisions were adopted during the Nordic Council's 78th annual session, held in Helsinki from Monday to Thursday under the theme "Nordic comprehensive security."
The Nordic Council is the official inter-parliamentary cooperation body of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Aland Islands. ■
