Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.11.2015, Síða 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1. nóvember 2015 • 3
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State Radio News – British
Prime Minister David Cameron
visited Iceland on October 28
and 29, when he was a guest
at the symposium Northern
Future Forum in Reykjavík.
This was the first time that a
sitting British prime minister
has visited Iceland since the
country gained independence
from Denmark.
Along with the Cameron,
prime ministers of the Nordic
countries and the Baltic States
were guests at the symposium.
The discussion topic at the
symposium concerned creating
industries and innovation in
governmental operations.
Cameron also met with Prime
Minister Sigmundur Davíð
Gunnlaugsson on relations
and collaboration between the
countries.
The last visit of a British
prime minister to Iceland was in
1941, when Winston Churchill
met with representatives of
the Icelandic government. A
press release from the Office
of the Prime Minister quotes
Gunnlaugsson as saying
that Northern Future Forum
offers a platform for sharing
and discussing new ideas.
The discussion topics this
year, he said, were important
and reflect the government’s
emphases.
Reprinted with permission
from Icelandic News Briefs,
published by KOM PR.
ruv.is – President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar
Grímsson has not decided whether he will again
run for re-election. He said that the current
uncertainty was not the same as when he decided
to run for re-election in the last presidential
election. Three of the last Government’s issues
made him think he had to run for re-election: EU
membership, constitutional amendment, and
Icesave. The president said that the uncertainty
regarding Icesave was no longer present, but
it took centre stage in 2012. He also said that
economic uncertainty was not the same now as
it was in 2012.
“Regarding the EU, it is completely clear
that Iceland is no longer an applicant for
membership,” said the president. “And all
political parties say that if that course is to be
taken again, then a national referendum must
be held on whether to continue it. Thus, there
is no way to say that there is the same kind of
uncertainty now as there was in 2012.”
When asked whether the previous
government created the uncertainty, the
president said that the government had clearly
been part of it. “For example, the zeal of the
then prime minister on the constitutional matter
had no relation to whether it was sensible,”
he said. “For example, how that matter was
launched, with serious mistakes in my opinion,
which made it nearly impossible for the process
to succeed.” By this he meant elections to a
constitutional assembly, which the Supreme
Court of Iceland held to be unlawful.
Uncertainty was the same regarding the
EU and Icesave. “The government was of
course the driving force in all these matters,”
said the president. “Even though the president
does not generally get involved in the country’s
politics, there were three matters that I deemed
necessary and of such a nature that I would have
to run for re-election. One was Icesave; another
was the Constitution of the Republic, and the
third was our relationship with Europe, and
whether we would cede decisive sovereignty to
the EU.” President Grímsson plans to make an
announcement on whether he will again run for
re-election in his New Year’s address.
Reprinted with permission from Icelandic News
Briefs, published by KOM PR.
David Cameron visits Iceland
Opposition MPs call for report on
the diplomatic effects of whaling
President will announce his future
plans in New Year’s address
ruv.is – Nine members
of Alþingi (MPs) from all
of the opposition parties
have requested a report from
Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi
Sveinsson on the effect of
whaling on relations between
Iceland and other states. As
presented in Althingi, the
request has six sections. The
details requested include
whether whaling has led to no
United States cabinet secretary
visiting Iceland since 2008,
when former U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleeza Rice came to
the country.
The document strongly
emphasizes that the foreign
minister should explain what
effect whaling has had on
relations between Iceland and
the U.S. Last year, the U.S.
government did not invite
Icelanders to attend a major
oceanic conference because
of whaling. That same year
U.S. President Barack Obama
charged his officials with
checking whether it would be
appropriate for them to visit
Iceland because of whaling.
Foreign Minister
Sveinsson has said that
whaling has prevented various
things in relations between
Iceland and the U.S. The
MPs requested the minister to
explain what influenced the
U.S. president’s decisions to
impose diplomatic sanctions
on Iceland for commercial
purposes. The report should
also cover whether whaling
has affected the sales and
marketing of Icelandic quality
foods in stories like Whole
Foods Market.
The opposition MPs
specifically asked whether
whaling had damaged
“diplomatic relations between
Iceland and the United
States, and if it has, whether
the whaling’s economic
importance justifies continuing
it.”
Reprinted with permission
from Icelandic News Briefs,
published by KOM PR.
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