Embassy of Norway to open in Tbilisi

The Embassy of Norway will open in Tbilisi this year, a decision has been announced during the Munich Security Conference last week.

Norway highlighted the reforms implemented in Georgia, aiming to strengthen the country’s European integration process, - the Georgian Prime Minister’s press office reported on Saturday, after the meeting between Prime Ministers of Georgia and Norway.

“Mamuka Bakhtadze and Erna Solberg emphasized the close relations between the two countries and discussed prospects of deeper political and economic cooperation. It was noted that the upcoming establishment of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Georgia will significantly boost this process,” the press office said.

Solberg reiterated Norway’s support for Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Bakhtadze pushed forward the regional security challenges, added the PM’s press office.

Norway decided to open an embassy in Tbilisi in September of the last year.

“Georgia is one of our priority partner countries in the Eurasia region. For many years, it has been following a course of reform, which has brought it closer to European and Euro-Atlantic cooperation structures.

“It is on the basis of an overall assessment of Norwegian interests and our ties with the countries in the Southern Caucasus that Norway has decided to open an embassy in Georgia. A permanent presence in Tbilisi will put us in a good position to follow developments in the region as a whole,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Ine Eriksen Soreide.

The Norwegian MFA stated that at the same time, the embassy in Baku will be closed.

“The embassy in Ankara will then be responsible for Norway’s relations with Azerbaijan. However, Norway plans to establish an honorary consulate-general in Baku,” the Norwegian MFA stated back to 2018.