US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday visited NATO ally Iceland for talks with among others Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, according to dpa. Gisladottir noted that it was the first visit to Iceland by a US secretary of state since 2006 when the US permanent military presence in the North Atlantic nation ceased after 45 years. Iceland, which has a population of 300,000, took charge of the US facilities but does not have an army. NATO agreed in July 2007 to patrol Iceland's airspace at intervals. Currently the French Air Force is conducting that mission. Four Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft arrived May 5 and were slated to remain stationed in Iceland until June 20. Rice and Gisladottir also discussed whaling. The US official repeated US concerns over Reykjavik's recent decision to allow whalers to hunt 40 minke whales during the whaling season that ends in September. Repeating the official Icelandic government line, Gisladottir said the quota was "sustainable" although she did criticize the decision after the fisheries ministry announced the quota earlier in May. Gisladottir became foreign minister a year ago when Prime Minister Geir H Haarde announced a new cabinet composed of his conservative Independence Party and Gisladottir's Social Democrats. Rice arrived the day after 28 people were reported lightly injured after an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale shook the town of Selfoss, 50 kilometres south-east of Reykjavik. Reykjavik residents also reported feeling houses shake in the city.
