Visit of Minister Thomas Byrne to Norway

Press release

Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne T.D. completed his two-day visit to Norway today Friday 6th May. This was the Minister’s first visit to Norway, a country with whom Ireland enjoys excellent bilateral relations and a strong economic relationship.

On Thursday, Minister Byrne attended the third European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights in Kristiansand where he delivered a keynote address on the importance of implementing judgements of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. During the conference, Minister Byrne also met with Ms. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarussian opposition leader during the August 2020 Presidential elections, currently exiled in Vilnius.

The Minister concluded his visit in Oslo today where he held a bilateral meeting with Norway’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt. The Ministers reviewed the strong Irish-Norwegian partnership at the UN Security Council, shared perspectives on the current crisis in Ukraine and discussed Ireland’s ambitious Nordic Strategy.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Byrne noted the two countries partnership at the UN. “Working closely together at the Security Council on difficult global security issues has strongly reinforced Irish-Norwegian relations and I look forward to working with my Norwegian colleagues to deepen our engagement in the coming years. The Government’s Nordic Strategy provides a roadmap for us in that regard.”

ENDS

Press Office

6 May 2022

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