US Deputy Secretary of State visits Iceland

Increased cooperation between the United States and Iceland, including in the fields of technology and innovation, were among the topics of discussion at a meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Þordís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir and Kurt M. Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, held at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Reykjavík on Friday. Russia’s war on Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region were also high on the agenda. 

“Iceland and the United States share a strong bond, based on our common values and our long-standing defense and security cooperation,” says Þórdís Kolbrún. "The visit of the American Deputy Secretary of State to Iceland reflects our close cooperation in almost all areas of foreign affairs and defense. The United States is one of our closest Allies and has long been Iceland's largest trading partner. Close cooperation among Allies is ever more important, given the geopolitical challenges of today.”

Kurt M. Campbell took office as Deputy Secretary of State of the United States last February and is second in command to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“First of all, I just want to underscore clearly, that you could not ask for a better partner than Iceland,” says Campbell. “We had very good deliberations first in April in Washington, DC and today here in Reykjavik with Foreign Minister Gylfadóttir and her team around issues of common purpose, and they extend everywhere – to technology, to defense, to environmental issues, to sustainable development, and fisheries.  Everything that is important in the United States and Iceland is on the table for discussion.”

During his short visit to Iceland, Campbell also attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Alþingi and visited the security area at Keflavík Airport.