President Obama is hosting a summit and state dinner for Nordic leaders on May 13. Prime Ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, and the President of Finland are meeting with President Obama with the goal of deepening U.S.-Nordic cooperation over America’s continued commitment to European security, trans-Atlantic trade and the promotion of common democratic values.

"The summit in Washington is important for relations between the Nordic region and the United States. For Sweden, it is a good opportunity to develop and deepen our already broad cooperation with the U.S.," says Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, who will attend the summit.

Nordic countries enjoy a close relationship with the United States, all working together for a strong transatlantic bond. Following the September 2013 meetings President Obama attended in Sweden, this summit will continue collaboration on a range of issues concerning terrorism and violent extremism, environmental and nuclear security issues, the Global Health Security Agenda, and the migration and refugee crisis.

A joint U.S.-Nordic footprint can be seen in these and many ways; the Ministers of Foreign Affairs have written a detailed explanation of this joint footprint and why the United States and the Nordic countries value deep relationships with each other. You can read their letter here.