Norwegian ambassador hails ‘ever-strong relations’ with Jordan on national day

AMMAN — Cooperation between Norway and Jordan “stretches from the level of the two Royal families to our day-to-day work at the embassy”, said Norwegian Ambassador in Amman Espen Lindbæck.

In an interview with The Jordan Times on the occasion of Norway’s national day, the ambassador noted that “Jordan is an important partner for Norway, and a stabilising force in the region”, and works in close coordination with Oslo in matters related to peace and security in the region.

Norway’s marks its national day on May 17, commemorating the country’s Constitution Day. 

The Norwegian constitution “is one of the oldest written constitutions in existence, and was founded on the principles of human rights, sovereignty of the people and the separation of power”, the envoy said. 

Elaborating on bilateral ties, the envoy said: “The diplomatic relations go back to more than 50 years. Many high-level visits, such as with the State Visit in 2020 of their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja to Jordan, have further strengthened these ties. Also, the visit of King Abdullah to Norway last year illustrated the ever-strong relations between our two countries”.

Lindbæck also expressed his “deep-felt thanks” to the Jordanian government for the “extraordinary support” displayed during the recent evacuations from Sudan. 

In terms of Norway’s support for Jordan, the ambassador affirmed that his country “supports Jordan’s ambitious economic and political reforms through support to key institutions”, also noting the country’s longstanding support for Jordan’s education sector and inclusion of Syrian children in schools.

“Through multilateral UN channels we provide humanitarian support, and focus on livelihoods, employment and economic growth. We have recently also expanded our cooperation in climate friendly agriculture through an agreement with FAO and Ministry of Agriculture, where I see a lot of potential,” he said.

“Norway is also deeply appreciating Jordan as a generous host for many refugees from the region, and we have therefore provided substantial humanitarian support over the last years. As a consistent partner to Jordan, Norway has contributed with more than $230 million in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance since 2013,” the ambassador added.

Touching on commercial ties between the two countries, Lindbæck said that despite the “modest” level of trade between the two countries there is “definitely great potential” for increase, as the Norwegian state visit to Jordan and His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Norway last year prompted a stronger focus on bilateral business and commercial development, especially within renewable energy. 

“For example, we have a Norwegian solar energy company in Jordan, Scatec, that sees great opportunities in Jordan,” the ambassador added, noting another potential trade opportunity lies in Norway’s status as the world’s second largest exporter of seafood. 

“We also have been supporting the Norwegian project, the Sahara Forest Project, as a pilot for sustainable agriculture in the desert, located outside Aqaba,” the ambassador said.

Norway has been collaborating on the Sahara Forest Project since King Abdullah’s invitation to the country in 2010. The project aims to use restorative practices to establish vegetation growth in areas that trend towards desertification. 

The ambassador took the opportunity to express his country’s appreciation to Jordan for the Kingdom’s support for Syrian refugees, noting that “Norway is one of the biggest donors to the Syria response over the years, which has also included support to Jordan’s resilience and capacity when it comes to hosting refugees”.

Lindbæck also noted that Norway and Jordan are “cooperating closely” in combating terrorism, both through the International Coalition against ISIL (Daesh), and in the two nations’ capacity as co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Preventing Violent Extremism.

Shifting towards the Palestinian cause, the ambassador noted that Jordan and Norway are mutually engaged in the Middle East Peace Process, and seek a political solution to the conflict and an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967-borders.

“Our position is clear – the Norwegian government remains committed to, and values efforts aimed at reviving a political process,” he said.

The ambassador said that as Chair of the AHLC (Ad Hoc Liaison Committee), Norway will continue to work with both parties based on internationally agreed parameters and international law to achieve a negotiated two-state solution. “Any peace initiative must take these conditions into account to succeed,” he added. 

Lindbæck noted that Norway remains a long-term donor to UNRWA, and believes in the importance of securing Palestinian refugees’ rights.  

“Jordan of course plays a crucial role in promoting a negotiated two-state solution – and His Majesty plays an important role as Custodian of the Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem,” Lindbæck said.

Moving on to cultural exchange and cooperation, the ambassador mentioned that in the early spring, the embassy arranged the first ever “Amman Music Talks”, a Nordic-Jordanian endeavour to promote gender balance in the music industry. A Nordic delegation visited Jordan for the occasion and participated in panel talks with Jordanian contributors in the arts and music industry.

In the first week of June the embassy will host Norwegian Film Festival that will be open to the public. The cultural initiative, organised by the Norwegian embassy and Jordan’s Royal Film Commission, will showcase three Norwegian movies, the ambassador said.

“We believe that cultural exchange and people-to-people connections enhance our bilateral relations,” he said.