Languages

Støre wants answer on possible nukes

Jonas Gahr Støre wants a clear answer from Moscow. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Norway’s Foreign Minister says Moscow must tell the truth about possible weapons onboard the submarine on fire in a dry-docked north of Murmansk in late December.

Location

The submarine fire and lack of official information from Russia was debated in the Norwegian Parliament on Thursday, following Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s presentation of the Government’s foreign policy.

Jonas Gahr Støre gave a clear statement:

“When there is a fire in a submarine, we are worried. There are extra reasons to be worried after what we have heard the last few days from official Russian spokespersons, that it could have been weapons onboard that submarine, while it earlier obstinate statements have claimed that it was not. I have therefore today instructed the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow to hand over a inquiry to Russian authorities to get an answer about it, so that we come in line with what we think is a clear obligation in the warning agreement between Norway and Russia from 1993, to have full openness about such events when they happen.”

It was earlier this week the Russian magazine Vlast reported that the “Yekaterinburg” submarine had its nuclear missiles onboard and several torpedoes when the fire took place north of Murmansk in December. Russian officials said at the day of the fire that all missiles were removed before the submarine was taken into dry-dock.

Read alsoNorwegians dissatisfied with sub fire info