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Jordan and Norway, fifty years of partnership

Jun 10,2019 - Last updated at Jun 10,2019

There are times when you realise the true value of partnerships. As Norway and Jordan celebrate a double anniversary this year — 50 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of Norwegian embassy in Amman — I dare say that our partnership is stronger than ever before. Our embassy in Amman has grown to become our largest in the MENA region, reflecting Jordan’s role as an important country in the region and a strategic hub. The opening of a Jordanian Embassy in Oslo in 2017 has further strengthened our relations, and is about to make Jordan more visible to the Norwegian public. Direct flights from Copenhagen to Amman make it easier for Scandinavians to visit Jordan and provide new opportunities for trade and tourism.

Reflecting on the historic roots of our partnership, as well as its current drivers, three factors stand out.

First, the relationships between our peoples. The strong ties between the two royal families stand out as a symbol of our long-term relations. Mutual visits over the years have led to new impulses and concrete projects. One such example is the Sahara Forest Project, a visionary endeavour to explore cultivation of vegetables in desert areas, using only solar energy and seawater. The launch station close to Aqaba was opened in 2017 in the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah and HRH Crown Prince Haakon. Strong leadership has been crucial to transform an innovative idea into a testing lab for the future.

The relationship between the royal families finds its parallels on all levels. To me, as Norway’s ambassador, there is no better illustration of the people-to-people relationships than the cooperation between the Norwegian and the Jordanian Football Associations on the construction of football pitches and training of female coaches for Jordanian and Syrian schoolchildren. With our Jordanian partners, we share the recognition that this is not only about football, but also about girls’ and women’s empowerment, and, not least, about creating spaces of normalcy and fun for children from refugee families and host communities.

Second, we share a set of common values. As relatively small countries in terms of population, we are both dependent on a UN-led international order, strong multilateral institutions and international law. Humanitarian demining is an example of an area where Jordan and Norway work together. Norway supported Jordan’s own efforts to become mine-free. Now we work together to promote a mine-free world. During the Norwegian presidency of the Mine Ban Convention this year, Jordan is an important partner. We will host a meeting on assistance to victims in the leading up to the Oslo Review Conference this fall.

Norway and Jordan share the view that provision of services to refugees is a global responsibility. Jordan deserves deep respect for its long history of hosting people in need. As co-host for the London conference on Syria in 2016, Norway emphasised the need for support to the neighbouring countries and pledged NOK 10 billion for the period 2016 to 2019, a substantial part of which has gone to Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan. We remain committed to continuing our support beyond 2019. Education for refugees and host-communities is our main priority, because investing in people is the best investment in the future.

Our two countries also believe in the need to promote coexistence and prevent violent extremism. Norway applauds Jordan’s leading role, both as an actor working for understanding between religions and as the initiator of the Aqaba Process. In New York, our joint chairmanship of the Group of Friends against Extremism has gathered broad support.

Third, our partnership rests on common interests. In the fight against Daesh, Jordan and Norway worked closely together as part of the Global Coalition. Based on this cooperation, our armed forces recently concluded an agreement on defence cooperation. One area where Norway has particular experience, and where there is a lot of traction in Jordan, is women’s participation and integration into the army. Through a NATO project, we are supporting the building of a Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army training centre for female officers that will open later this year.

Political and institutional dialogue on issues of common concern was the main rationale for the establishment of our embassy in Amman in 1994. Since then, resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been at the core of our regular dialogue. Jordan as host of a large number of Palestinian refugees and with His Majesty’s custodianship of the holy sites in Jerusalem has a key role in the efforts to achieve durable peace. Norway remains a strong supporter of a negotiated two-state solution and a long-term contributor to UNRWA. Since the Oslo Accords, Norway has been chairing the international donor group for Palestine (Ad Hoc Liaison Committee) with the main priority to create an institutional and economic foundation for a future Palestinian state.

The anniversary of our diplomatic relations provides an opportunity to take stock and to look towards the future. One factor that is different today from 50 or even 25 years ago, is that the global world has become a village, not in geographic terms, but through increased globalisation and interconnectedness. Today, what happens in Jordan and in the region may affect Norway more directly than before, and vice versa. We are affected by the same regional and global dynamics. The strong relationship between our countries both bilaterally and in the multilateral arena is, therefore, a great asset that we must never take for granted, but continue to develop and invest in.

 

The writer is the Norwegian ambassador to Jordan. She contributed this article to The Jordan Times

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