News
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09 March 2020 /Response to COVID-19 in Iceland
This statement has been updated on March 13, 2020 Icelandic authorities have taken preventive steps to contain the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus in the country. As Iceland has few entry poin...
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28 February 2020 /Lumpfish fishery 2020
Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture has issued a regulation for the lumpfish fishery in 2020. The regulation allows for 25 days fishing for each licence, but thenumber ...
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21 February 2020 /The Icelandic government seeks to lead an action coalition of the Generation Equality Forum
The Icelandic government has welcomed UN Women’s Gender Equality Forum and expressed its interest to take on a leadership to support the initiative during the next five years. 2020 marks the 25th anni...
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17 February 2020 /Report on Iceland in the UN Human Rights Council
The objectives of Iceland's membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council have been achieved in all key respects. This is among the conclusions of a report prepared by the Icelandic Ministry f...
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28 January 2020 /UK and EEA EFTA Separation Agreement signed
Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, today signed the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement on behalf of Iceland, alongside the Foreign Ministers of L...
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20 January 2020 /Minutes of the meeting of the Financial Stability Council on December 17 2019
Meeting held at the Ministry of Finance and Economic affairs In attendance were: Bjarni Benediktsson, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, chairman; Ásgeir Jónsson, Governor of the Central Bank o...
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16 January 2020 /The Prime Minister’s Committee for the Future publishes a report on Icelandic society in 2035–2040
The Committee for the Future, appointed by the Prime Minister, has published a report on Icelandic society in 2035-2040. The publication is the first report by the committee and addresses economic, en...
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30 December 2019 /Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy for 2020-2024
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has published Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy for the period 2020-2024. The MTDMS is presented on the basis of the fiscal plan, in accordance with Ar...
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20 December 2019 /Fourth meeting of the Financial Stability Council in 2019
The Financial Stability Council held its fourth meeting in 2019 on Tuesday, December 17. This was the last meeting of the Financial Stability Council in its current form as, from the 1st of January 20...
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20 December 2019 /A swift policy response supports the economy
Solid economic fundamentals and the authorities‘ swift policy response appropriately supports the economy in the wake of shocks according to a newly released Article IV report on Iceland by the IMF. A...
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18 December 2019 /Iceland remains the top country on the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index
Iceland remains the top country on the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index for the 11th year running. According to the report, gender parity will not be attained for another century if continued ...
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17 December 2019 /Handling of cases by the Public Procurement Complaints Commission transferred to the Internal Revenue Board
Effective 1 January 2020, handling of cases by the Public Procurement Complaints Commission will be transferred from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to the Internal Revenue Board. The Rol...
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06 December 2019 /Regulation banning the use of heavy fuel oil in the territorial sea of Iceland
The Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources has issued a regulation tightening fuel requirements, which effectively bans the use of heavy fuel oil in the territorial sea of Iceland. The reg...
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27 November 2019 /Foreign Ministers of Iceland and Russia met in Moscow
Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, and Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russia Federation, met in Moscow yesterday. The focus of their discussion was...
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22 November 2019 /Fitch Ratings Affirms Iceland´s ratings at A, outlook stable
Today Fitch Ratings has published a new commentary on Iceland´s sovereign ratings. Iceland´s credit ratings are unchanged; Long-Term (LT) foreign- and local ratings are affirmed at A and Short-Term (S...
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21 November 2019 /Arctic Council actors join forces in Hveragerði
For the first time during the Icelandic Chairmanship, representatives of the eight Arctic States and six Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, as well as the Arctic Council’s six Working Gro...
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15 November 2019 /S&P Global Ratings affirms Iceland’s sovereign ratings at A/A-1 with a stable outlook
International rating agency S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Iceland’s sovereign ratings at A/A-1 with a stable outlook. The rating agency assumes a mild contraction in GDP in 2019 due to declining...
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15 November 2019 /UN adopts Iceland's proposal to declare International Equal Pay Day
A resolution on International Equal Pay Day was today adopted by consensus in the Third Committee (Human Rights) of the General Assembly. Iceland, Australia, Canada, Germany, Panama, New Zealand, Sout...
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08 November 2019 /Moody's upgrades Iceland's government ratings to A2
Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Iceland’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to A2 from A3, Iceland’s senior unsecured MTN rating to (P)A2 from (P)A3 and other short-term rating to (...
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23 October 2019 /Progress of the plan for removal of Capital Controls
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs today published a report on the progress of plans to remove restrictions on cross-border capital movements and foreign currency trading. The minister shall...
