54% Want to End Defense Agreement with US

According to the results of a Gallup poll sponsored by Social Democrat MP Helgi Hjörvar, 53.9% of the Icelanders surveyed are in favour of Iceland terminating its defence agreement with the US. 24.8% were against the idea, while 21% had no opinion. The survey comes in the wake of an announcement from the US State Department earlier this spring that the NATO base in Keflavík would be severely downsized. The defence agreement between the two countries - wherein the US pledges to provide for Iceland's defence - still stands, however, and talks are currently underway to work out how this agreement will now be upheld. Minister of Foreign Affairs Valgerður Sverrisdóttir has already said that the defence agreement will not be suspended while talks are ongoing. - pfn