During their stay, the parliamentarians will be visiting a number of distinguished research establishments in Washington D.C. and Boston, including John Hopkins University, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and M.I.T. The Russia-Ukraine crisis, Islamic State, the Middle East, and the conflicts in Syria and Iraq top the agenda, with the emphasis always being on NATO and US strategy in these areas.

“We are living in unpredictable times in which we are confronted by both long-standing and new dangers. It’s therefore of the utmost importance that we collaborate well with our allies and that we prioritize our close NATO ties,” said Øyvind Halleraker (Conservative Party), head of the Storting’s delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA).

Accompanying Halleraker to the USA are Christian Tybring-Gjedde (Progress Party) and Hans Olav Syversen (Christian Democratic Party), both of whom are members of the Norwegian NATO PA delegation.

In addition to a series of lectures, presentations and discussions with researchers and experts, the group is due to visit the Pentagon, the State Department and the World Bank. They have also been invited to a meeting in Congress, which will be hosted by Michael Turner, US Congressman and current President of the NATO PA.

“The aim is to exchange thoughts and ideas about relevant topical issues, such as the Ukraine crisis and the wars in Syria and Iraq. It’s extremely useful to hear the opinions of other countries and to get an impression of how they view the situation in the world today,” Halleraker added.