Overview
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Icelandic foreign minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir signed the agreement in Brussels.
- The pact sets up an annual security and defence dialogue and deepens cooperation, including in the Arctic.
- Iceland will vote on 29 August on whether to restart EU accession negotiations, which began in 2009 and were halted in 2015.
- Iceland’s push is driven by security concerns as a country without armed forces that relies on the United States and NATO for defence, with heightened attention after President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland.
- Icelandic officials say a yes vote could lead to a rapid process toward membership, though experts flag fisheries policy and limited diplomatic capacity as major hurdles.