Asbjørn Skarstein (7 March 1922 – 22 October 1999) was a Norwegian civil servant and diplomat. He was born in Kristiania, and held the siv.øk. degree. He was hired in the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

as an assistant secretary in 1956. He served as a councillor at the Norwegian embassies in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

from 1960 and Belgium from 1962. In 1965 he returned to Norway; being a sub-director from 1965 to 1967 and deputy under-secretary of state from 1967 to 1975, both in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was then the permanent under-secretary of state in the

Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Shipping The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Shipping ( no, Handels- og skipsfartsdepartementet) was a Norwegian ministry that existed from 1947 to 1987. It was established on 6 December 1947. It ceased to exist on 31 December 1987. Its tasks were mai ...

, the highest-ranking bureaucratic position, from 1975 to 1981. He then served as Norway's ambassador to Italy from 1981 to 1984. He also doubled as the ambassador to Malta. In 1985 Georg Kristiansen left as ambassador of France. Skarstein took over and served until 1988.

References

1922 births 1999 deaths Diplomats from Oslo Ambassadors of Norway to Italy Ambassadors of Norway to Malta Ambassadors of Norway to France Norwegian expatriates in Switzerland Norwegian expatriates in Belgium {{Norway-gov-bio-stub