News from the Embassy

It has been a turbulent spring in the Middle East and there is still reason to pay close attention to the political developments when travelling in the region.

En entusiastisk velger avla i dag den første stemmen ved årets kommunevalg her ved ambassaden i Amman.

All Norwegian missions abroad now offer visa applicants the opportunity to use an online system. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre commented, “This will give visa applicants a much better service and reduce the processing time for applications.”

Norwegians in Jordan can vote in advance for the 2011 Municipal and county election, at the embassy in Amman.

Norway has decided to align itself with the EU’s sanctions against Syria. “Norway supports international efforts to bring an end to the unacceptable use of violence against the Syrian people,” commented Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Various representatives from authorities in Norway dealing with integration issues, as well as representatives from Norwegian embassies in the region came together on a two-day seminar to learn more about forced marriages and family related affairs.

The then 13 year old girl was allegedly married to her six years older cousin in a ceremony in Oslo in 2006. Three years after she notified a counselor at school, the cousin, the girl's father, mother, uncle and aunt were all indicted. They all received very tough sentences – a clear signal from the Norwegian court.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre commented: “Egypt is in a critical phase after a historic revolution, in which the younger generation has played a decisive role. Now the people’s demands for democracy and human rights must be met. We intend to further develop our contact with popular movements and progressive potential leaders on the Egyptian political stage.”

The Ad-hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) for assistance to the Palestinians, which is chaired by Norway, will meet in New York 21. September. The meeting will bring the key donors of aid and relief together with the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

“It is positive that Israel has now decided to ease the blockade of Gaza. In my view, the blockade is counterproductive because it directly affects the civilian population and undermines the forces on the Palestinian side that are interested in peace. Moreover, it does not serve to enhance Israeli security,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.