Afghanistan–Norway relations
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Afghanistan-Norway relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Norway. Afghanistan has an embassy in Oslo. Norway has an embassy in Kabul, although it has been closed since the August 2021
Taliban takeover A Offensive (military), military offensive by the Taliban insurgent group and other allied militants led to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan based in Kabul and marked the end of the nearly 20-year-old War in Afghanistan (2001–20 ...
of Kabul.


History

Afghanistan and Norway have had diplomatic relations since 1931. The two countries have a long history of cooperation, and Norway has been a strong supporter of Afghanistan's development. In the 1960s, Norway provided assistance to Afghanistan in the areas of education, health, and agriculture. Norway also helped to build the Salang Tunnel, which is a major transportation link between northern and southern Afghanistan. In the 1980s, Norway provided humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. Norway also supported the Afghan resistance movement, the mujaheddin. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, Norway became a major donor to Afghanistan. Norway provided assistance in the areas of security, governance, and development. Norway also helped to rebuild the
Afghan National Army Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia * Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity **Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
and the Afghan National Police. As of 2010, there are 10,475
Afghan people Afghans ( ps, افغانان, translit=afghanan; Persian/ prs, افغان ها, translit=afghānhā; Persian: افغانستانی, romanized: ''Afghanistani'') or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry f ...
living in Norway. 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 ...
discourage people to travel to Afghanistan. Norway participated in the International Security Assistance Force and in the
Resolute Support Mission Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...
in the War in Afghanistan. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 has had a significant impact on relations between the two countries. Norway has been critical of the Taliban's human rights record, and has suspended its development assistance to Afghanistan. However, Norway has also maintained a dialogue with the Taliban, and has hosted a number of meetings between the Taliban and Afghan civil society groups. In December 2021, Norway announced that it would provide 10 million
Norwegian krone The krone (, abbreviation: kr (also NKr for distinction); code: NOK), plural ''kroner'', is currency of the Kingdom of Norway (including Svalbard). Traditionally known as the Norwegian crown in English. It is nominally subdivided into 100 '' ...
(about \$1.1 million) in
humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
aid to Afghanistan. This aid is intended to help the most vulnerable Afghans, including women and children. Norway has also been involved in efforts to evacuate Afghans who are at risk of persecution by the Taliban. In August 2021, Norway evacuated about 1,000
Afghans Afghans ( ps, افغانان, translit=afghanan; Persian/ prs, افغان ها, translit=afghānhā; Persian: افغانستانی, romanized: ''Afghanistani'') or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry f ...
, including human rights defenders,
journalists A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
, and women's rights activists. In January 2022, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere defended the country's decision to host talks between Taliban members, representatives of Afghan civil society, and foreign diplomats. Stoere stated that the talks were conducted to make "it possible to hold those who hold power in Afghanistan accountable". In January 2023, Norway hosted a meeting of the Contact Group for Afghanistan, which brings together representatives from countries that have a stake in Afghanistan's future. The meeting was an opportunity for countries to discuss their shared concerns about the situation in Afghanistan and to coordinate their response.


See also

*
Foreign relations of Afghanistan The foreign relations of Afghanistan are in a transitional phase since the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the collapse of the internationally-recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. No country has recognised the new regime, the Isla ...
* Foreign relations of Norway


References

Norway Bilateral relations of Norway {{bilateralrelations-stub