Copenhagen, Nov 4 (IANS): Nordic countries must reinforce cooperation on security of supply and other emergency preparedness issues, the Nordic Council said in a joint statement at a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The 73rd Session of the Nordic Council is being held in person from November 1-4 at Christiansborg, the Danish Parliament.

Potential means of enhancing Nordic cooperation include information exchange, shared awareness of situations and early dialogue on all possible scenarios and throughout crisis situations, the participants said.

The Nordic Council also called for cooperation within supplies and logistics contingency planning and crisis management, as well as developing further joint exercises and training programs, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new agreement marks a more collaborative agenda, and came after five Nordic Prime Ministers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and three heads of government from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Aland islands, concluded a round of discussions early on Wednesday morning.

"Nordic co-operation is a resource that makes it possible for the Nordic countries to strengthen their emergency preparedness and resilience," said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin at the press conference.

"By stepping up Nordic co-operation on the security of supply and other emergency preparedness, we help to safeguard a Nordic Region that can take action in any situation."

In the joint statement, the Prime Ministers also stressed that all Nordic countries need to be better prepared "for scenarios that require immediate crisis responses and emergency resources."

"The pandemic has been a challenge of historic proportions," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

"Now that we're in a better situation, we must learn from our experiences. We must be better prepared ahead of future crises. We're certain that there are more crises to come."

The Prime Ministers also confirmed their joint sustainability goals.

"Our aim is to become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030," the statement read.

"Cooperation makes us stronger, better prepared and more secure."

The Nordic Council, formed in 1952, is the official body for inter-parliamentary cooperation. The topic of the 73rd Session is: What can the Nordic Region learn from the coronavirus crisis, and how can co-operation be strengthened going forwards?