Norway-Russia Relations

Siri Svendsen, spokeswoman for the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has stated that "we have informed the Russian ambassador that an employee of the Russian embassy is unwanted as a diplomat and will be asked to leave Norway".

The reason for this is "machinations" that are "incompatible with his role and status as a diplomat". The diplomat, who is assigned to the economic department of the Russian embassy, now has until the end of the week to leave the country.

The Russian embassy in Oslo protested to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry against a "violation of diplomatic status". The Russian diplomat had been "arrested for no reason", the embassy wrote on Facebook. Russia would "naturally draw its conclusions" from the case. According to the Norwegian side, the man was released.

The Russian diplomat is the companion of a Norwegian man who had been arrested in Oslo on Saturday on suspicion of espionage.