May 5 (Reuters) – Norway will join the U.S.-led “Pax Silica” initiative, a group of countries aiming to ensure reliable supply chains for AI technology, the Nordic country’s government said on Tuesday.
Launched last year, Pax Silica is a key pillar of the Trump administration’s strategy to reduce dependence on China and strengthen cooperation among allies, including by securing access to critical minerals.
“This initiative can give Norwegian companies better access to advanced technological value chains,” Norway’s Trade and Industry Minister Cecilie Myrseth said in a statement.
Semafor earlier reported that the United States would this week announce Norway’s participation in the group.
“Norway is home to the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, and the depth of that institutional capital combined with critical mineral reserves are important,” Jacob Helberg, the U.S. State Department’s undersecretary for economic affairs, told Semafor in an interview.
The Nordic nation will sign the initiative on Wednesday, the government said.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru and Essi Lehto in Helsinki; Editing by Tom Hogue and Terje Solsvik)
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