Foreign relations of Svalbard
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The foreign relations of Norway are based on the country's membership in NATO and within the workings of the United Nations (UN). Additionally, despite not being a member of the European Union (EU), Norway takes a part in the
integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...
of EU through its membership in the European Economic Area. Norway's foreign ministry includes both the minister of foreign affairs and minister of international development.


History

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 ...
was established on the same day that Norway declared the dissolution of the union with Sweden: June 7, 1905. Although diplomats could not present credentials to foreign governments until the Swedish king formally renounced his right to the Norwegian throne, a number of unofficial representatives worked on the provisional government's behalf until the first Norwegian ambassador, Hjalmar Christian Hauge, sought accreditation by the United States Secretary of State
Elihu Root Elihu Root (; February 15, 1845February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and statesman who served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War in the early twentieth century. He also served as United States Senator from N ...
on November 6, 1905. The initial purposes of the newly formed Foreign Ministry were to represent Norway's interests through diplomatic channels, and to provide consular services for Norwegian shipping and commerce overseas. In 1906, the
Storting The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years bas ...
decided to establish six embassies in Europe, with two more in the Americas: one in the United States and one in Argentina. 20 consular offices were also opened. During World War I, the foreign ministry was confronted with unprecedented challenges in maintaining neutrality for Norway, in particular in order to protect its merchant fleet. In 1922, the ministry was consolidated and reorganised to ensure fuller cooperation between the diplomatic and consular branches. The reorganization included the formation of a designated career path for diplomats that included completion of a university entrance examination and professional experience from international trade. The economic hardship of the times forced austerity measures at the ministry for the next several years. When Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1940, the government fled to the United Kingdom and reconstituted in exile in
Bracknell Bracknell () is a large town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Built-up Area, Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the Bracknell Forest, Borough of Bracknell Forest. It l ...
, outside London.
Kingston House The Kingston House, also known as the Johnston House, is an historic, American inn and tavern that is located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. History and ...
in London was later used. The government moved back to Norway following the peace in 1945. After the end of World War II, Norway was a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations, the latter having Norwegian Trygve Lie as inaugural Secretary-General. Norway was also part of the first slate of non-permanent members to the United Nations Security Council.


Elements of policy

Since the end of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, Norway has developed a model to foreign policy known as the "Norwegian model," the goal of which is to contribute to peace and stability through coordinated response among governmental and non-governmental Norwegian organizations; acting as an honest broker in international conflicts; an informal network of Norwegian individuals with access and credibility among parties; and the willingness to take the long view in international issues. The post-war foreign policy of Norway can be described along four dimensions:


Strategic alliances

Norway's strategic importance for waging war in the North Atlantic became important in the failed neutrality policy of World War II. Norway became a founding member of NATO in order to ally itself with countries that shared its democratic values. Both through diplomatic and military cooperation, Norway has played a visible role in the formation and operations of NATO. It allowed a limited number of military bases and exercises to be based in its territories, which caused some controversy when NATO decided to put forward bases in
Northern Norway Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...
in preparation for a conflict with the Soviet Union.


International cooperation

Norway supports international cooperation and the peaceful settlement of disputes, recognizing the need for maintaining a strong national defence through
collective security Collective security can be understood as a security arrangement, political, regional, or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and therefore commits to a collective response to threats t ...
. Accordingly, the cornerstones of Norwegian policy are active membership in NATO and support for the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Norway also pursues a policy of economic, social, and cultural cooperation with other Nordic countries— Denmark,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, Finland, and Iceland—through the
Nordic Council The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well as from the autonomou ...
. Its relations with Iceland are very close due to the cultural bond the two nations share. Norway ended a 2-year term on the UN Security Council in January 2003, and chaired the
Iraq Sanctions Committee In United Nations Security Council resolution 661, adopted on 6 August 1990, reaffirming Resolution 660 (1990) and noting Iraq's refusal to comply with it and Kuwait's right of self-defence, the Council took steps to implement international san ...
. Norway, along with Iceland the Farore Islands, is not a member of the European Union, all three are members of the European Economic Area. Membership of the EU has been proposed within Norway, and referendums over Norwegian membership were held in 1972 and 1994. Popular opinion was split between rural and urban areas. ''See
Norway and the European Union Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
.'' The present government is not planning to raise the possibility for future membership. Norway also has a history of co-operation and friendship with the United Kingdom and Scotland, due to their shared cultural heritage since Viking times. The Vikings conquered areas including the Hebrides,
Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
and
Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...
for several hundred years. Norway is only 300 kilometres (159 Nautical miles) east of Unst, the northernmost island of Shetland. The Norwegian embassy to the United Kingdom is located in London, and Norway also maintains a Consulate General in Edinburgh. A
Norway Spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very close ...
is given by the city of Oslo and presented to London as a Christmas tree for display in Trafalgar Square as a token of gratitude for the UK's support during World War II. King Haakon, his son
Crown Prince Olav Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales. He became heir apparent to the Norw ...
and the country's government lived in exile in London throughout the war. As part of the tradition, the Lord Mayor of Westminster visits Oslo in the late autumn to take part in the felling of the tree, and the Mayor of Oslo then goes to London to light the tree at the Christmas ceremony. On 25 April 2022, Norwegian foreign minister visited Bangladesh as part of her two-day trip in order to broadening economic partnership through trade,
investment Investment is the dedication of money to purchase of an asset to attain an increase in value over a period of time. Investment requires a sacrifice of some present asset, such as time, money, or effort. In finance, the purpose of investing i ...
and maritime sector cooperation.


International mediation and nation building

Norway has played an active role as a third party mediator in a number of international conflicts. The late foreign minister
Johan Jørgen Holst Johan Jørgen Holst (29 November 1937 – 13 January 1994) was a Norwegian politician representing Labour, best known for his involvement with the Oslo Accords. Holst was Minister of Defence from 1987 to 1989 and from 1990 to April 1993. He t ...
was instrumental in forging the
Oslo Accords The Oslo Accords are a pair of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993;
between Israel and the
PLO The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establishing Arab unity and s ...
. Thorvald Stoltenberg was part of the unsuccessful mediation team in seeking an end to the war in
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
. Norway has contributed both mediation services and financial assistance in
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
. As of 2005, Norwegian diplomats are acting as mediators in
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
,
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, and
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
. Some of those countries accuse Norway of supporting and propping up separatist groups. Israel is often bitter with harsh criticisms from Norwegian politicians. The spat was at its highest when finance minister
Kristin Halvorsen Kristin Halvorsen (born 2 September 1960) is a Norwegian politician of the Socialist Left Party. She served as Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2009 and as Minister of Education from 2009 to 2013. She also served as the party's leader from 1997 ...
supported boycott of Israeli goods. in early 2006. Finance ministry spokesman, Runar Malkenes, told BBC News that "there are no moves to push for a boycott of Israeli goods" at government level.
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
has been actively supported by Norway during its liberation from Ethiopia. As of recent, Ethiopia expelled six Norwegian diplomats due to Norway's alleged support to 'Terrorist group and Eritrea'. Norway retaliated by cutting aid to Ethiopia. After the Al-Qaeda attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, NATO launched a military invasion to overthrow
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and its Taliban sponsors. Norway was one of 51 donors providing aid and assistance to rebuild the war-torn country. Norway had charge of Faryab Province. The Norwegian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team had the mission of effecting security, good governance and economic development, 2005–2012. But the results were dubious and frustration continued until the U.S. and all other countries finally decided to withdraw by 2021. Mats Berdal, and Astri Suhrke, "A Good Ally: Norway and International Statebuilding in Afghanistan, 2001-2014." ''Journal of Strategic Studies'' 41.1-2 (2018): 61-88
online
/ref>


International disputes

Territorial claims in Antarctica ( Queen Maud Land and
Peter I Island Peter I Island ( no, Peter I Øy) is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Bellingshausen Sea, from continental Antarctica. It is claimed as a dependency of Norway and, along with Bouvet Island and Queen Maud Land, composes one of the three No ...
) are only recognized by Australia, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.


Status-seeking

A number of scholars have argued that Norway has through its foreign policy engaged in status-seeking. Through an activist foreign policy, Norway has sought to elevate its standing among the international system's small powers and middle powers, and earn recognition from the great powers.


Diplomatic relations


Africa


Americas


Asia


Europe


Oceania


See also

*
List of diplomatic missions in Norway This article lists diplomatic missions resident in Norway. At present, the capital city of Oslo hosts 71 embassies. Several other countries have ambassadors accredited to Norway, with most being resident in Stockholm, Copenhagen and London. Diplo ...
* List of diplomatic missions of Norway *
List of ambassadors to Norway This is a list of ambassadors to Norway. Note that some ambassadors are responsible for more than one country while others are directly accredited to Oslo. Current Ambassadors to Oslo See also * Foreign relations of Norway * List of diplomati ...
*
Norway and the European Union Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
*
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( Norwegian (Bokmål): ''Det kongelige utenriksdepartement''; Norwegian (Nynorsk): ''Det kongelege utanriksdepartement'') is the foreign ministry of the Kingdom of Norway. It was established on June ...
*
Arctic policy of Norway Arctic Policy of Norway is Norway's foreign relations with other Arctic countries, and Norway's government policies on issues occurring within the geographic boundaries of "the Arctic" or related to the Arctic or its people. Since Norway is itself ...


References


Further reading

* Berg, Roald. "Norway’s Foreign Politics during the Union with Sweden, 1814-1905: A Reconsideration." ''Diplomacy & Statecraft'' 31.1 (2020): 1-21
online
Argues Norwegians did have a voice in foreign affairs. * Danielsen, Helge. "Military Assistance, Foreign Policy, and National Security: The Objectives of US Military Assistance to Norway, 1950–1965." ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 45.1 (2020): 71–94. * Frankel, Joseph. "Comparing Foreign Policies: The Case of Norway." ''International Affairs'' 44.3 (1968): 482–493. * German, Robert K. "Norway and the bear: Soviet coercive diplomacy and Norwegian security policy." ''International Security'' 7.2 (1982): 55-8
online
* Holst, Johan Jørgen, ed. ''Norwegian Foreign Policy in the 1980s'' (Oxford UP, 1985). * Lucas, Colin. "Great Britain and the Union of Norway and Sweden." ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 15.3-4 (1990): 269–278. * Lundestad, Geir. "The United States and Norway, 1905–2006 Allies of a kind: so similar, so different." ''Journal of Transatlantic Studies'' 4.2 (2006): 187–209. * Lundestad, Geir. "The evolution of Norwegian security policy: Alliance with the West and reassurance in the East." ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 17.2-3 (1992): 227–256. * Lundestad, Geir. ''America, Scandinavia and the Cold War, 1945-1949'' (1980), * Padelford, Norman J. "Regional cooperation in Scandinavia." ''International Organization'' 11.4 (1957): 597–614; relations with Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, 1920–1955
online
* Pisarska, Katarzyna. "Peace Diplomacy and the Domestic Dimension of Norwegian Foreign Policy: The Insider's Accounts." ''Scandinavian Political Studies'' 38.2 (2015): 198–215. * Riste, Olav. "The historical determinants of Norwegian foreign policy." in J. J. Holst, ed. ''Norwegian Foreign Policy in the 1980s'' (1985): 12–26. * Salmon, Patrick. ''Scandinavia and the Great Powers 1890-1940'' (2002
excerpt
* Salmon, Patrick. "How to write international history: Reflections on Norsk utenrikspolitikks historie." ''Diplomacy and Statecraft'' 9.1 (1998): 208–223.


External links





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