Agreement signed between Iceland and the Faroe Islands

Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard of the Faroe Islands and Icelandic Foreign Minister Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir recently signed an agreement which will bring closer co-operation in fisheries, trade and other matters.

The agreement marked the opening of a new office in Reykjavik for the Representation of the Faroes. The public enjoyed a large scale concert to celebrate the links between the two countries while officials attended lunches and receptions. Following the weekend of festivities, the Representation Office was opened for the general public.

Mr. Eidesdgaard remarked in his speech: “The Faroe Islands share a special relationship with Iceland. It is almost like having an older brother: He is family, more experienced and whatever you do he is likely to have done it first. But in the long run you grow up to be his equal. We admire Iceland and Icelanders. The land itself for its stunning beauty and the people for being innovative and ambitious.”

A few months ago, Mr Eidesgaard and the then Icelandic Foreign Minister (Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir) were able to successfully end a dispute on fishing boundaries which had existed between Iceland and the Faroe Islands for more than 30 years.

With bilateral trade and investments increasing between the nations over the past ten years, the two nations have been cooperating on matters of fishing and conservation more and more.

“In more recent times Iceland and the Faroe Islands have been both partners and such as when speaking of fisheries, but always our dealings with each other have been handled with a high degree of respect and even fondness, clearly proving the point that our nations share such strong cultural and personal bonds,” the Faroese Prime Minister concluded.

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