Foreign Minister Spanta Visits Norway, Sweden and Finland
Foreign Minister Dr. Rangeen Dadfar Spanta traveled to Norway on March 25 for a two-day visit. He met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Defense Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan and Norway’s contributions to the country’s rebuilding efforts. The Afghan foreign minister said terror should not be combated by military means alone, a view shared by the Norwegian officials.
In an interview with the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, Foreign Minister Spanta said that the Norwegian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan are fighting bravely against terrorists and are a neccesary component of the international mission currently helping to stablize Afghanistan. Norwegian Defense Minister Strøm-Erichsen shared the Foreign Minister’s take on the situation, assuring him that Norwegian forces will remain committed to the Afhgan mission for the long term. “[Norway] will not leave Afghanistan until the Afghan people feel safe and that peace is secure, and that we are sure that the country will not longer be a safe haven for international terror,” she said.
Foreign Minister Spanta’s visit to Norway was the first leg of a Nordic visit, which also included trips to Sweden and Finland. When in Stockholm, Sweden, Foreign Minister Spanta participated in a Nordic conference on Afghanistan, where representatives from the Nordic countries discussed how to strengthen cooperation between their respective governments in order to achieve stability, peace, and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
For more information on Foreign Minister Spanta’s visit to Norway, Sweden and Finland, visit the Embassy of Afghanistan in Oslo Website HERE
