Misplaced Pages

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Greece–Norway relations" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Greek-Norwegian relations

Greece	Norway

Greece–Norway relations are foreign relations between Greece and Norway. The Greek Embassy in Oslo opened in 1980 and the Norwegian Embassy in Athens opened in 1974.

Greece's embassy in Oslo (since 1980) and an honorary consulate in Bergen represents Greece diplomatically in Norway. Norway has an embassy in Athens, and eight honorary consulates in Corfu, Crete (Chania and Iraklion), Kos, Patras, Piraeus, Rhodes and Thessaloniki. Both countries are members of NATO.

History

In 1925, Greece signed the Svalbard Treaty, which recognizes the sovereignty of Norway over the archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, and grants signatories equal rights to engage in commercial activities and scientific research on the archipelago.

In 1967, Norway and three other countries brought the Greek Case against the Greek junta regime for human rights violations.

Agreements

The two countries have signed the Treaty on Social Security (1980), a Treaty on Cultural Agreement (1976), and an Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation (1988).

Tourism

Greece, which ranks very high on the list of Norwegian tourist preferences, is amongst the top contenders, welcoming about 22% of the tourist population, which is estimated at some 250,000 people throughout the year. The tourist traffic flows from Norway to Greece in recent years have been increasing and Greece is a favorite destination for Norwegians. According to the Greek Statistical Service the number of Norwegians who visited Greece in 2002 came to 181,383 and in 2003 to 230,232. The island of Antiparos has often been described as the Norwegian island because here is more Norwegian tourists than any other tourists without Greeks.

Economic relations

Through the European Economic Area Agreement (EEA), Norway is a part of EU's Internal Market, and in addition has incorporated EU legislation to ensure that the "Four Freedoms" governing the EU/EEA Internal Market (i.e. free movement of goods, persons, capital, services), are being observed.

As part of the EEA Agreement, Norway with the two other EFTA States have established the EEA Financial Mechanisms in order to contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities within the European Economic Area

Since 2001, Greek exports to Norway have increased in pharmaceuticals, cotton, clothing, non-ferrous metals, plastics, steel products, and fresh fruit and in 2003 amounted to some NOK 430 million (€52, 800, 000 approximately). Norway exports fishery products, maritime equipment, aluminium alloys, and granite, which in 2003 amounted to about NOK 970 million. Norwegian exports to Greece amount to approximately NOK 1,2 billion per year. Norway enjoys a large surplus of trade as the imports from Greece remain at just over NOK 400 million per year. Although trade between Greece and Norway has shown a slight decrease in the last three years, efforts are being made to boost trade and investment. The processes and projects associated with the implementation and strengthening of the EEA Mechanisms should bring more interaction between Greece and Norway, especially when it comes to the business sector.

The sectors that are of particular interest to Norwegian exporters are Seafood, Environmental Technology and Alternative Energy as well as Shipping and Ship-Building. There has been a long shipping tradition between Greece and Norway and ships are sold and bought between the two countries frequently. Norwegian companies sell catamarans and other vessels as well as technological equipment to their Greek counterparts. Norwegian maritime exporters participate at POSEIDONIA Exhibition held in Greece and further development of relations with the Greek shipping industry in order to increase Norwegian shipping exports is desirable.

The value of direct Norwegian investments in Greece came to NOK 1,006 million at the end of 2002 – an important increase compared with previous years (2001: 605, 2000: 864, 1998: NOK 352 million). In general, Norway promotes its expertise and strength in Building and Construction, Consumer Goods, ICT, Maritime Industry, Oil and gas, Process Industry, Environmental Technology, Seafood, and Services.

Ambassadors

The Norwegian ambassadors to Greece:

• Kåre Dæhlen (1974–1975)
• Inge Reidarssøn Rindal (1975–1981)
• Kjell Rasmussen (1981–1985)
• Tancred Ibsen, Jr. (1986–1989)
• Nils Oscar Dietz (1990–1994)
• Bjørn Barth (1994–1996)
• Rolf Trolle Andersen (1996–1998)
• Jan Wessel Hegg (1998–2001)
• Finn Kristen Fostervoll (2001–2006)
• Sverre Stub (2006–2011)
• Sjur Larsen (2011–2015)
• Jørn E. Gjelstad (2015–2019)
• Frode Overland Andersen (2019–)

Immigration

The Greek community in Norway consists of 1,671 individuals in 2009, up from 1,572 in 2008. The majority are established in Oslo and Bergen more or less permanently. An overwhelming majority have created family ties, by marrying Norwegian nationals. Hordaland has the highest number of Greek pupils in the country, 8 of 11.

Culture

The Norwegian Institute at Athens opened in 1989, and is one of 17 foreign archaeological institutes in Athens.

The Greek Orthodox Church in Norway

The congregation was founded in 1965 with main purpose to serve the Greek-speaking Greek Orthodox in Norway. Church fall under Metropolita Pavlos Menevissoglou of Sweden and Scandinavia, based in Stockholm. Parish priest Archimandrite Evmenios Likakis and others. There is one Greek Orthodox church in Norway (in Oslo). There is also a small congregation in Bergen with 98 members, St. Michael's Orthodox Church.

Diplomacy

See also

• Foreign relations of Greece
• Foreign relations of Norway
• Norway–EU relations
• Eastern Orthodoxy in Norway

References

1. Bates, Ed (2010). "The 'Greek' Case, 1967–1969". The Evolution of the European Convention on Human Rights: From Its Inception to the Creation of a Permanent Court of Human Rights. Oxford University Press. pp. 264–270. ISBN 978-0-19-920799-2.
2. ^ "Global Greece: Norway".
3. "E Kathimerini: Antiparos, A Norwegian 'colony' in the Aegean".
4. "Persons with immigrant background by immigration category, country background and sex. 1 January 2009". Statistics Norway. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
5. Fylkesmannen i Hordaland – Bergen Moské størst av trussamfunna i 2009 Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with Norway
• Norwegian embassy in Athens
• Global Greece: Norway
• The Greek Orthodox Church in Norway

v t e Foreign relations of Greece
Bilateral relations Africa Algeria Democratic Republic of the Congo Egypt Ethiopia Kenya Nigeria South Africa Tunisia Zimbabwe Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Chile Cuba Mexico Nicaragua Peru United States Uruguay Venezuela Asia Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh China Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq (Kurdistan Region) Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Malaysia Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia South Korea Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Vietnam Europe Albania Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Holy See Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Malta Moldova Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Oceania Australia New Zealand Former Yugoslavia
Multilateral relations Issues United Nations NATO European Union IMF World Bank Aegean dispute Cyprus dispute Northern Epirus Craiova Group Historical Greek–Serbian Alliance Balkan League First Balkan Pact Second Balkan Pact Treaty of Guarantee (1960)
Diplomacy Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions of / in Greece Greek diaspora Greek diplomats Visa policy of Greece Visa requirements for Greek citizens

v t e Foreign relations of Norway
Africa	Algeria Angola Democratic Republic of the Congo Ethiopia Kenya Libya Madagascar Morocco Sudan
Americas	Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Mexico Peru United States
Asia	Afghanistan China India Indonesia Israel Malaysia Mongolia Nepal North Korea Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Taiwan Turkey
Europe	Croatia Cyprus Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Kosovo Poland Romania Russia Serbia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom
Oceania	Australia New Zealand
Former countries	Czechoslovakia Soviet Union Yugoslavia
Multilateral relations	European Union NATO Membership of International organizations
Related topics	Diplomatic missions of Norway Diplomatic missions in Norway

• Politics
• Greece
• Norway

• Greece–Norway relations
• Bilateral relations of Greece
• Bilateral relations of Norway