Foreign Minister Highlights Risks to Iceland’s Energy Infrastructure

2026-03-18 - 10:33

Iceland’s foreign minister has highlighted the strategic importance of energy systems, linking infrastructure resilience to national security and economic stability. As reported by RÚV, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir spoke at the annual meeting of Samorka, held at Reykjavík City Theatre. What's the Story? Remarks by Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir at Samorka annual meeting in Reykjavík City Theatre Energy infrastructure identified as key to economic development, quality of life and national independence Government working with institutions and private sector to strengthen resilience against threats to infrastructure and communications Svartsengi power plant. Photo: Golli. Iceland Review. Infrastructure and resilience Iceland’s foreign minister has highlighted the strategic importance of energy systems, linking infrastructure resilience to national security and economic stability. As reported by RÚV, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir spoke at the annual meeting of Samorka, held at Reykjavík City Theatre. As part of her speech, she said reliable energy infrastructure underpins both living standards and independence. “Developments in international affairs have shown us that access to safe and reliable energy can be crucial to the stability of societies. Therefore, strong infrastructure is one of the most important prerequisites for a small and at the same time open society like Iceland to stand strong in a changing world and to continue to grow and prosper,” she said. The Foreign Minister noted that the global security environment has shifted rapidly, with increasing geopolitical tensions. She warned that Iceland could no longer rely on geographic isolation for protection. “We, as a nation in the middle of the Atlantic, may have until now believed we could live in the security of being far from battlefields, but multifaceted threats and other modern security measures have meant that we cannot be blind to the threats and also the defenses that need to be built upon and developed in every society,” she said. Þorgerður also outlined potential risks to infrastructure, including energy systems, communications networks and subsea cables. She added that cooperation between government institutions and the private sector would be essential to strengthen resilience.