Posts Tagged ‘Gahr’
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Norway has joined the United States in criticizing the Canadian decision to withdraw its armed forces from Afghanistan next year.
The Norwegian foreign minister, Jonas Gahr Store, claimed that the arbitrary withdrawal dates proposed by the Canadian government does not accurately reflect the reality of the situation on the ground.
Mr Gahr Store said that Norway, a fellow NATO ally of Canada, sympathised with Canadian losses which have resulted in the withdrawal announcement, but that Norway had entered with NATO and will depart with NATO under agreement with Afghan authorities. As yet, there is no fixed date for the removal of Norwegian forces, reports inews.
Gahr Store’s comments followed a plea by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton for Canada to reconsider its decision during a televised interview. Clinton suggested that the Canadian role could become more focussed on training than combat.
Lawrence Cannon, the Canadian foreign affairs minister, bluntly rebuffed the request by Clinton for his country’s troops to remain in the war-torn region until the end of the year. He said, “Our military mission will end in 2011,” adding that the Canadian position has been made “perfectly clear” to its coalition partners. Cannon did acknowledge, however, that his government was investigating non-military roles in Afghanistan after its troop withdrawal.
Tags: Afghan, Armed Forces, Canadian Foreign Affairs, Canadian Government, Canadian Position, Cannon, Coalition Partners, Foreign Affairs Minister, Foreign Minister, Gahr, Hilary Clinton, Military Mission, Military Roles, Nato, Nato Ally, Plea, Secretary Of State, Troop Withdrawal, Us Secretary Of State, Withdrawal Announcement
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Friday, March 12th, 2010
Jonas Gahr Store, the Norwegian Foreign Minister, looks set to break ranks with the other Nordic countries by recommending that Norway grant loans to Iceland before the Icesave issue is finally resolved with the Netherlands and the UK.
Aftenposten reports that not only are the Norwegians potentially interested in granting Iceland the promised loan through the IMF right away, but that Store’s government may also be willing to offer another separate loan to Iceland in co-operation with the EU.
Store’s timing seems to be deliberate, with his comments coming just a day before today’s meeting of the Nordic finance ministers in Denmark. So far all the other Nordic nations have said their support for Iceland will not be paid out before Icesave is completely off the agenda. Icesave will be on the agenda in Copenhagen today.
“Norwegian assistance is tied to the IMF package and in our opinion the IMF package is not tied to a solution to the Icesave issue as the conditions of the package stand,” Store told Aftenposten.
Store emphasised that the Nordic nations should not do anything to hinder Iceland’s IMF package—his comments a direct response to a Nordic neighbour’s opinion that the Icesave issue must be out of the way before any loan can come from that country to Iceland through the IMF. Store said the issue will be discussed today.
Store added that there is no sign that the British and Dutch have tried to stall the IMF’s work in Iceland; and a week ago the Fund’s chief, Dominique Strauss Kahn told the press he is ready and willing to continue with the Iceland package without a final agreement in the Icesave issue.
Tags: Aftenposten, Break, Copenhagen, Day Before Today, Denmark, Direct Response, Dominique Strauss Kahn, Emphasised, Finance Ministers, Foreign Minister, Gahr, Icesave, Imf Package, Loans, Neighbour, Netherlands, Nordic Countries, Nordic Nations, Norway, Norwegians
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Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Foreign Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Stoere has loosened his demands towards Iceland and is considering the possibility of disbursing a loan to the Icelandic state through the International Monetary Fund without a solution to the Icesave dispute.
Tags: Foreign Minister, Gahr, Iceland, International Monetary Fund, Norway
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Monday, February 1st, 2010
Speaking on his visit to the Middle East, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store has voiced his country’s concerns over the situation in East Jerusalem, claiming that increasing pressure is being placed on the region’s Palestinian population.
“The status of Jerusalem must be resolved to ensure lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and this can only be achieved through negotiations,” Store stated after holding talks with Lutheran Bishop Monib Younan and various Palestinian leaders about the fate of their people in the holy city.
“Evictions, demolitions, the separation barrier and the ongoing establishment of new settlements are changing the demographics and geography of East Jerusalem, and thus also the basis for a negotiated solution,” said Store, adding that he was “concerned that these changes, which have accelerated in recent months, will make it more difficult to get new, genuine negotiations off the ground”.
Store has repeatedly expressed Norway’s stance on the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem which echoes that of the international community. “We do not recognise Israel’s annexation of Palestinian East Jerusalem,” Store said, claiming that the Israeli presence is a clear violation of international law.
Store’s visit also included a tour of the Norwegian funded Augusta Victoria Hospital where Palestinians are provided with specialist medical services. Israeli security enforcement has meant that Gaza and West Bank Palestinians are no longer able to freely access the facility.
“Jerusalem is a holy city for billions of people who adhere to the three monotheistic world religions. Respect for each other’s faith and holy sites is a prerequisite for peaceful co-existence. Jews, Muslims and others must all have the right to live here,” said Store.
Tags: Annexation, Augusta Victoria Hospital, East Norwegian, Evictions, Gahr, Holy City, Israeli Occupation, Israeli Security, Israelis And Palestinians, Lasting Peace, Lutheran Bishop, Monotheistic World Religions, Muslims And Others, Palestinian East Jerusalem, Palestinian Leaders, Palestinian Population, Security Enforcement, Specialist Medical, West Bank Palestinians, Younan
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Monday, January 25th, 2010
The Icelandic government would most like the Norwegians, Germans or French to act as intermediaries in any renegotiation of the Icesave deal with the Netherlands and the UK.
This is what Einar Karl Haraldsson, information officer at the Icelandic Prime Minister’s office said yesterday in an interview with the Norwegian Dagbladet newspaper.
Stod 2 News reported that the government would ideally like the role of mediator to go to a Norwegian.
Icelandic Progressive Party MP, Siv Fridleifsdottir said in an interview with Dagbladet that the name of Jonas Gahr Store, Norwegian Foreign Minister, has come up regularly in conversation in Reykjavik. She would not, however, be drawn on who she thinks will eventually get the job if Icesave negotiations recommence.
Jonas Gahr Store told Dagbladet that he does not want to give a public opinion on the subject yet. He said that the Norwegian and Icelandic governments are in regular close contact, but would not say specifically if Icesave negotiations are among topics of conversation.
Tags: Close Contact, Dagbladet, Einar, Foreign Minister, Gahr, Germans, Haraldsson, Information Officer, Intermediaries, Mediator, Negotiations, News Reported That, Norwegians, Prime Minister, Progressive Party, Public Opinion, Renegotiation, Reykjavik, Siv, Topics Of Conversation
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Monday, January 25th, 2010
Coinciding with the foreign minister’s Israeli visit a Norwegian opposition leader has called hostility from Israel understandable.
The Christian Democratic Party’s head Hans Olav Syversen says that negative attitudes permeate a variety of Norwegian social institutions when it comes to the Israeli question, which in turn fosters suspicion and distrust.
“Instead of saying there’s no problem, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store should listen to the concerns of the Israeli side regarding the Norwegian government’s attitude to Israel,” Syversen reasoned.
Speaking with the Israeli news source Haaretz, Syversen listed a range of incidents in past months which have impacted upon relations between the two countries. These include a leading Norwegian university’s deliberations over a possible Israel boycott in November and also Store’s December recommendation of a book that alleges premeditated mass murder by Israeli forces in Gaza.
The Christian Democratic Party is the sixth largest in Norway with Syversen also heading the ‘Friends of Israel’ parliamentary group. The youth division of Syversen’s party has also scheduled a visit to Israel by a team of one dozen politically active youths at the same time as the foreign minister.
A statement by the ministry claimed that Store “wishes to continue his dialogue with Israeli politicians about the Middle East peace process… Various bilateral topics will also be raised [during the visit] in order to further develop our relations”.
In 2008, Ingrid Fiskaa of the Socialist Left Party expressed her wish that Israel be fired upon by the United Nations, while various pension funds have been divested due to links to West Bank construction projects. One Norwegian diplomat has even compared the Gaza conflict to the Holocaust.
Tags: Bank Construction, Christian Democratic Party, Friends Of Israel, Gahr, Gaza Conflict, Israel Boycott, Israeli Forces, Israeli News Source, Israeli Politicians, Israeli Side, Mass Murder, Middle East Peace, Middle East Peace Process, Negative Attitudes, Norwegian Government, Norwegian University, Opposition Leader, Parliamentary Group, Pension Funds, Social Institutions
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden will release a joint statement next week about the future of their economic aid programmes with Iceland, following President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson’s decision to send the so-called Icesave Bill to a public vote.
Further Nordic loans to Iceland have never been dependent on a resolution of Iceland’s Icesave spat with the Netherlands and the UK on paper; but in reality, leaders in each country have said that they are.
Icelandic Finance Minister, Steingrimur J. Sigfusson has spoken to his counterparts from all four countries over the last two days, making personal trips to Oslo and Copenhagen as well as phone calls to Stockholm and Helsinki.
The Minister’s effort already appears to be bearing fruit, with Bloomberg reporting an emerging consensus that the Nordic countries will live up to their commitments amid growing confidence that Iceland will live up to its.
“Norway stands by its commitments to Iceland,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in Oslo today. “It is Norway’s stance that the Nordic region should push for a continuation of the program within the International Monetary Fund.”
“What is essential is that Iceland’s government stands by its commitments, and we believe that they will,” he added. “Then we should make it clear to the other IMF partners that it would be extremely damaging for Iceland if we start to shake this foundation.”
Tags: Bearing Fruit, Bloomberg, Commitments, Continuation, Copenhagen, Counterparts, Denmark Finland, Economic Aid, Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, Gahr, Helsinki, Icesave, International Monetary Fund, Nordic Countries, Nordic Region, Personal Trips, Phone Calls, Public Vote, Ragnar
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Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in an interview with the leading Norwegian news agency NTB yesterday that the national referendum on Icesave will not delay Norway’s loan to Iceland through the International Monetary Fund.
Tags: Foreign Minister, Gahr, Iceland, Icesave, International Monetary Fund, National Referendum, News Agency, Norway, Norwegian Minister, Norwegian News, Ntb
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Saturday, October 24th, 2009
Norway has claimed that it has no concerns with Russian re-investment in its defence systems in the far north, with Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store claiming that the two countries will continue on a path of mutual co-operation which will improve Oslo’s political and military relations with Moscow.
“There is no tension between the Norwegian and the Russian militaries, and 15 years of Norwegian-Russian co-operation has removed any tension,” said Store in a report by Norway News. The Russian defence operation, which is based around Murmansk, has seen an estimated expenditure of between USD 12 and 15 billion in the past five years by the Russian government, as it strengthens and modernises its operation. “Norway will, of course, continue to closely monitor Russia’s military efforts, but we cannot see that this in any way changes the good relations between Norway and Russia,” Store added.
Norway’s High North Defence Plan (HNDP) has been the subject of an ongoing credibility debate, with former head of defence forces General Sverre Diesen warning that greater investment in the plan was needed by the government. “Our High North defence can be stronger with more funding. We need a battalion of enlisted soldiers in the region to guarantee that the advanced equipment that we have can be used,” said the retired General who believes that Norway should move to a professional military as opposed to the existing conscription system.
The cross-border military co-operation has grow significantly in the past two years, highlighted by the head of the Norwegian Border Defence Department’s Ivar Magne Sakserud becoming the first military officer from Norway to visit the officially ‘closed’ military area of the Russian Rybachiy peninsula earlier this month. “This vote of confidence proves that the relationship and co-operative climate between Norway and Russia is very good,” Sakserud said.
Tags: Conscription, Defence Department, Defence Forces, Defence Plan, Defence Systems, Enlisted Soldiers, Gahr, Magne, Military Area, Military Efforts, Military Relations, Military Strength, Murmansk, North Norway, Norway News, Norwegian Border, Retired General, Russian Defence, Russian Militaries, Vote Of Confidence
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Friday, October 9th, 2009
Thorbjorn Jagland, the former President of the Norwegian Storting and head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee was voted into the role of Secretary General for the Council of Europe by the group’s members at the beginning of the month. Jagland received more than twice the votes for his opponent, the former Polish PM Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz. Jagland has considerable experience in the European theatre, having previously held the offices of Norwegian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister.
Jagland’s election was welcomed by Jonas Gahr Store, the current Norwegian Foreign Minister: “I am very happy to see a Norwegian at the helm of the organisation for the coming five-year term, and glad to see a Norwegian as secretary general in a major international organisation for the first time since Trygve Lie’s period as the first secretary general of the UN,” the Norway Post reports.
Gahr Store went on to commend the Parliamentary Assembly for their confidence in the Norwegian candidate, and also those who campaigned on his behalf. Jagland will assume his responsibilities immediately and has been elected by the 47 member states for a term of five years.
“The Council of Europe has the longest history of all the existing European cooperation organisations, and it is one of the most important inter-governmental organisations in Europe today. Its 47 member countries and 800 million European citizens need a strong and effective organisation. They need a strong leader who can renew and modernise the organisation and strengthen its fundamental objective of preserving and promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law,” claimed Gahr Store.
The Minister went on to add that he was “…fully aware that this is a very demanding task, but I am also convinced that Mr. Jagland is the right leader as the organisation marks its 60th anniversary. As a former prime minister and foreign minister and as incumbent President of the Norwegian Storting and the Norwegian Nobel Committee, he is widely recognised as a leading European political figure. Mr Jagland – whom I have known and worked with for many years and whom I greatly respect – has clearly demonstrated over the years that he has the experience, integrity and visions required to guide the Council of Europe in the challenging years ahead.”
Tags: 60th Anniversary, Council Of Europe, Democracy And The Rule Of Law, Europe Today, European Citizens, European Cooperation, Foreign Minister, Former President, Former Prime Minister, Fundamental Objective, Gahr, Governmental Organisations, Incumbent President, International Organisation, Member Countries, Norway Post, Norwegian Nobel Committee, Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General Of The Un, Storting
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Friday, October 2nd, 2009
A second uranium enrichment plant in Iran has led Norway to join other countries in expressing its concern over the disclosure, claiming that the plant is a clear breach of UN Security Council requirements.
The Norway Post reports that Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store claimed that there is an increasing crisis of confidence between the international community and Iran, over its lack of transparency with regards to nuclear activities. It was announced last week that Iran had managed to keep hidden for years the existence of the uranium enrichment plant. The news is just the latest in a series of breaches of the regulaions laid down by the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“The latest reports that Iran has built a new enrichment plant give cause for grave concern,” said Mr. Store. “This is incompatible with Security Council requirements, and shows clearly that Iran has not laid all its cards on the table”.
At the G-20 meeting in Pennsylvania, other world leaders including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and US President Barack Obama all condemned Iran’s behaviour, after the discovery of the new Iranian enrichment plant.
“This latest turn of events also shows how crucial it is that Iran show full transparency regarding its nuclear facilities and allow the IAEA full access. Otherwise it will be impossible for Iran to gain international confidence, which is also necessary for the country to exercise its right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, which we have never contested,” said Norway’s Foreign Minister Store. Mr. Store also highlighted the Security Council’s move to pass recent agreements of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. “The uncertainty surrounding Iran’s intentions could, unfortunately, complicate the efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. This is extremely regrettable,” said Mr Store.
Tags: Atomic Energy Agency, Barack Obama, British Prime Minister, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Cards On The Table, French President Nicolas, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Gahr, Grave Concern, International Atomic Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency Iaea, International Confidence, Nicolas Sarkozy, Norway Post, Nuclear Activities, President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Un Security Council, Uranium Enrichment Plant
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Monday, September 28th, 2009
Norway has joined a coalition along with Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Switzerland, the US and UK, who have pledged to donate 10 percent of their supply of the vaccine for the H1N1 virus to developing countries. The initiative was proposed by US President Barack Obama and has the full support of the Norwegian Government, according to the Norway Post.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said that: “Pandemics do not respect national borders. Our ability to protect ourselves against infections depends on other countries’ ability to protect themselves. The poorest countries are particularly vulnerable, and that is why this initiative is so important.”
Mr Store went on to add: “This is an important initiative and a new form of global solidarity. The world’s poorest are already suffering due to weak health systems in many developing countries. The pandemic is an additional burden. It is therefore important that together we seek to resolve a global crisis that does not respect national borders. Priority must be given to the most vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and health workers.”
The multi-national agreement will see the donations managed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which will coordinate the distribution of the vaccine to the poorest people in developing countries. The Norwegian Storting (national parliament) has still to ratify the agreement although the proposal has been adopted in principle.
Bjarne Haakon Hanssen, the Minister for Health and Care Services in Norway claimed: “We have been able to ensure extensive vaccine coverage for the Norwegian people at an early stage, and it is good to know that we can make a contribution at global level”.
Tags: Barack Obama, Gahr, Global Crisis, Global Level, Global Solidarity, Haakon, Health Systems, Health Workers, National Borders, National Parliament, Norway Post, Norwegian Government, Pandemic, Poorest Countries, Storting, Swine Flu Vaccine, Vaccine Coverage, Vulnerable Groups, Women And Health, World Health Organization
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Friday, September 25th, 2009
The Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store has advised that Norway will be actively following up on a UN Human Rights Council report, which came after a fact-finding mission during the recent Gaza conflict. The report claims human rights and humanitarian law violations. According to the Norway Post, Gahr Store has deemed the allegations very serious.
“The extensive work carried out by the UN Fact-Finding Mission must now be actively followed up. The report contains very serious allegations. As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Norway will as a first step seek to ensure that the report is dealt with as thoroughly as possible by the Human Rights Council,” he said in response to the report.
The independent fact-finding mission for the UN Human Rights Council was led by South Africa’s Justice Richard Goldstone, and investigated the alleged violations of both humanitarian laws and human rights by Israel during the conflict. The mission stated that there was sufficient evidence to suggest Israeli actions constituted war crimes and even crimes against humanity.
The report also found that Palestinian armed factions may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity with their continued launching of mortar and rocket propelled grenades across the border into southern Israel.
Mr Store stressed that Norway was fully behind bringing to justice those who violate humanitarian law. “I note that the Justice Goldstone’s Fact-Finding Mission has considered the conduct of both parties to the conflict. Norway has earlier underlined the need for an independent investigation of the alleged violations of international humanitarian law during the operations in Gaza earlier this year,” said the Norwegian minister.
Tags: Crimes Against Humanity, Fact Finding Mission, Factions, Gahr, Gaza Conflict, Human Rights Abuses, Humanitarian Law Violations, Humanitarian Laws, Independent Investigation, International Humanitarian Law, Israeli Actions, Justice Goldstone, Justice Richard Goldstone, Norway Post, Norwegian Minister, Rocket Propelled Grenades, Serious Allegations, Southern Israel, Un Human Rights Council, War Crimes
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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Norway has denounced the sentencing to death of two Norwegian citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store claimed that the decision handed down by a military tribunal in the city of Kisangani was totally unacceptable: “Norway is against the death penalty on principle, and I will contact the Congolese Foreign Minister to make our position clear,” he told the Norway Post, adding: “I will emphasise that legal safeguards must be maintained, and that we hold the Congolese authorities responsible for the safety of the two Norwegians. I will also request that Norway’s views are communicated to the appropriate authorities in Kisangani.”
Norway has since received guarantees from the Congolese authorities that the men would not be executed, but their fate remains unclear. The two ex-military servicemen, Joshua French and Tjostalv Moland, were arrested and convicted on suspicion of murdering their driver, importing legal weapons, attempted murder and planning hostile acts against the Congolese state. They had claimed they were in the country to set up a private security firm, although at the time said they were merely tourists in the oil rich Orientale Province in a country noted for its lack of tourism, particularly ones with automatic weapons.
The pair claimed they had been attacked by armed militia who shot their driver before they managed to escape. They were found hundreds of kilometres from the scene and had not reported the attack. In response, the Congolese court condemned the men to death, despite capital punishment no longer being part of national law. The pair were also accused of spying for Norway and ordered to pay USD 60 million in damages; one dollar for each Congolese citizen.
Gahr Store went on to advise that Norway strongly repudiated the verdict. “Norway is not a party in this case,” said the Store, adding that, “Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will remain in Kisangani until further notice to assist the two Norwegian citizens in this difficult situation, and to assess what kind of help they will need in the time ahead.”
Tags: 60 Million, Automatic Weapons, Capital Punishment, Congolese, Death Sentence, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Foreign Minister, Gahr, Hostile Acts, Legal Safeguards, Legal Weapons, Military Servicemen, Military Tribunal, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Moland, Norway Post, Norwegians, Private Security, Republic Of Congo, Security Firm
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Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, has claimed that he welcomed criticism during a response to an internal memo leaked to the press last week.
The memo, originating from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, was scathing in its criticism of Mr. Ban, with little good to say about the Korean.
However, the Secretary–General claimed that constructive criticism helped him in his work. Ban Ki-moon informed reporters that he was telephoned by the Foreign Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Store, who advised that he regretted the leaking of the report which was written by the Deputy Ambassador to the U.N, Mona Juul. Mr. Ban confirmed that it was standard practise for U.N diplomats to report back to their own governments.
“As a matter of principle I welcome all these criticisms,” he said. “Criticisms, when they are constructive, help me improve my work, my performance.”
In the report, Juul claimed Ban was ineffective, displayed a ‘lack of charisma’ and that his leadership was counterproductive. The report went on to be published by Aftenposten, the Norwegian Daily, though it was meant to be restricted to ministry viewing only.
Juul was not alone in her views, with several media organisations being openly critical of his work. “You have the right to say what you believe and what you have seen in my job as the secretary-general. So I would welcome any such good suggestions and constructive criticisms,” he told assembled journalists.
The U.N chief is due in Norway this week and despite the furore has claimed he is looking forward to meeting with the nation’s leaders.
Tags: Ambassador, Ban Ki Moon, Charisma, Constructive Criticism, Constructive Criticisms, Diplomats, Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministry, Furore, Gahr, Governments, Internal Memo, Journalists, Juul, Leadership, Mona, Norway, Practise, Principle, Un Secretary General
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Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
A difficult child custody case involving the kidnapping of two children by their father has created major problems for the staff at Morocco’s Norwegian Embassy. The man has been charged with kidnapping and taking his 13 and 16 year-old kids from Norway to Rabat in Morocco.
The father managed to keep the children in Rabat for two and a half years before they finally managed to escape and make their way to the Norwegian Embassy in Rabat. The embassy housed them for several days while their father issued a flurry of serious death threats against the embassy staff.
Eventually, the two children were met by their mother, who was able to get them safely back into Norway. This child custody case has been a real snafu for embassy staff in Morocco for several years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs admitted being concerned for their safety but had their hands tied over the legality of separating the kids from their father, according to The Norway Post.
Luckily the kids took the initiative. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere commented “The two children went voluntarily to the Norwegian Embassy after threats to their lives. They were allowed to stay there for three days, which is quite out of the ordinary, and indicates the seriousness of the case. They left the Embassy of their own accord, after which the Norwegian authorities had no contact with them, and consequently were not in any way involved with their leaving Morocco.”
See more about this at the NorwayPost.
Tags: Child Custody Case, Death Threats, Embassy In Morocco, Embassy Staff, Foreign Minister, Gahr, Initiative, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Norway Post, Norwaypost, Norwegian Authorities, Norwegian Embassy, Own Accord, Rabat Morocco, Seriousness, Snafu, Two And A Half Years
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Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
The five Nordic Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet in Reykjavik, Iceland, today, 9 June. During their meeting the ministers will discuss the Stoltenberg report on Nordic foreign and security policy cooperation, commissioned by the ministers from former Norwegian Foreign Minister Stoltenberg. They will also discuss international issues such as the Middle-East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sri Lanka and North-Korea, climate change, the international economic and financial crisis and European issues, as Sweden takes over the presidency of the European Union in July.
The five ministers are: Per Stig Møller of Denmark, Alexander Stubb of Finland, Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, Carl Bildt of Sweden and Ossur Skarphedinsson of Iceland.
(Press release from the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
Tags: Afghanistan, Alexander, Alexander Stubb, Carl Bildt, Climate Change, Cooperation, European Union, Financial Crisis, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministers, Gahr, Middle East, Nordic Ministers, North Korea, Ossur, Presidency, Press Release, ReykjavíK Iceland, Security Policy
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Monday, May 25th, 2009
Nordic foreign ministers have spoken out in condemnation of North Korea’s Sunday nuclear weapons test on home soil.
Ossur Skarphedinsson, Iceland’s foreign Minister said that the Icelandic government is unsympathetic towards all use of nuclear weapons and has been working to reduce their use globally.
“North Korea’s action has been severely criticised all over the world; and I think it’s a really bad sign that at the same time that others are trying to reduce their nuclear weapons stocks, this poverty stricken country is investing huge sums in developing theirs – money that would be better spent feeding the many North Koreans who live with hunger,” the Foreign Minister told Morgunbladid.
This weekend’s nuclear tests are said to be some 20-times more powerful than North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006.
Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Store also criticised the tests, while Jan Egeland, Director of the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs (NUPI), told NRK: “North Korea’s irrational leadership is gambling with its whole population”.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister was equally scathing. Carl Bildt told The Local: “There is every reason to fear that efforts to combat the growing economic and social problems in North Korea will now become even more difficult”.
An emergency session of the UN Security Council has been called by Russia, which currently holds the rotating presidency.
Tags: Carl Bildt, Condemnation, Emergency Session, Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministers, Gahr, Home Soil, International Affairs, Jan Egeland, Korea Nuclear Test, Koreans, North Korea, North Korea Nuclear Test, Norwegian Institute, Nrk, Nuclear Tests, Nuclear Weapons Test, Nupi, Stricken Country, Un Security Council
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Things are heating up in Burma again over the fate of Aung San Suu Kyi, the legitimate winner of the country’s presidential election nearly two decades ago, and Norway is at the centre of it. She has been under house arrest for 13 of the last 19 years, and denied the right to try and rule the country.
Following the recent move by Burma’s military junta to imprison and bring to trial Aung San Suu Kyi, Norway’s government immediately demanded that the Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Laureate winner is released post haste. Aung San Suu Kyi is currently in custody in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, according to the Norway Post.
Jonas Gahr Store, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, commented: “The imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi is a step in the wrong direction. I will today instruct Norwegian diplomatic missions to raise the matter with the countries in the region, including China and India, as well as with the UN Secretary General.”
Store added, “Recent reports about the state of Aung San Suu Kyi’s health also give grounds for concern. I expect her to be given proper medical attention. I am therefore concerned about reports that her doctor was arrested last week.”
Tags: 19 Years, Aung San Suu, Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese Opposition Leader, Diplomatic Missions, Gahr, House Arrest, Imprisonment, Insein Prison, Military Junta, Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Nobel Laureate, Norway Post, Post Haste, Presidential Election, Proper Medical Attention, Rangoon, San Suu Kyi, Un Secretary General, Wrong Direction
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