Norwegian foreign minister to visit Pakistan after 10 years

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide will arrive in Pakistan on August 13 for a two-day official visit aimed at

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide will arrive in Pakistan on August 13 for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between Islamabad and Oslo.

The visit will continue through August 14 and will be Eide’s first trip to Pakistan by a Norwegian foreign minister in a decade.

Eide is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

During his stay, the Norwegian minister will hold delegation-level talks with Dar. The discussions are expected to cover a wide range of bilateral and international issues.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the two sides will examine opportunities to increase cooperation in trade and investment, climate change, renewable energy, education and people-to-people contacts.

Regional and global developments are also expected to feature prominently in the talks.

The visit comes as Pakistan and Norway have maintained diplomatic engagement through senior-level contacts in recent months.

Dar and Eide held telephone discussions in March and April, while Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik visited Islamabad in May.

Officials expect the latest visit to provide an opportunity to build on these contacts and identify new areas of cooperation that could benefit both countries.

Pakistan and Norway have maintained cordial relations for decades, with cooperation extending across economic, development and diplomatic fields.