Eide made his comments in an exclusive interview with Al Ahram while visiting Egypt during the Cairo International Book Fair, in which Norway is the guest of honour.
He said his country’s participation in the Cairo book fair is a milestone for the promotion of Norwegian literature abroad and praised Egypt for this opportunity
Al Ahram: Alfred Nobel gave Norway the responsibility of selecting the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, reflecting his confidence in the country. What is Norway’s position on South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?
Espen Barth Eide: We are following with interest the case brought against Israel by South Africa at the ICJ. Norway is a strong believer in peaceful dispute settlement by competent courts, as prescribed by the UN charter.
In this case, it is positive that Israel is engaging in the case. It is important that all parties respect the decisions made by the court. Norway has traditionally not intervened in cases between states at the ICJ. This case is at an early stage. We cannot rule out that legal questions may arise later on, that we decide to provide our opinion on.
AA: Norway has criticized Israel’s attacks on Gaza, but has yet to move beyond words, whereas with Ukraine the country has taken concrete actions. How do you explain this?
EBE: We have been explicitly clear: International law is our guiding principle and must be fully respected by everyone. We will continue to speak out to ensure respect for international law, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.
All conflicts are unique. Just as Norway was quick to condemn Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine and the many horrific attacks on civilians there, Norway quickly expressed grave concern regarding the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. We condemned the establishment of a full blockade on Gaza, cutting off access to water, electricity, food and other goods vital for the survival of the civilians in Gaza, and we voted in favour of the resolution in the UN General Assembly on 27 October calling for a ceasefire.
Norway also condemned Hamas’ heinous terrorist attacks, we called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and recognized Israel’s right to self-defence against such attacks, within the limitations of international law.
AA: Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote: “The man who stands alone is always the strongest,” in his play, the Enemy of the People. Civilians, including women and children, are standing alone in Gaza. How long will the West keep watching?
EBE: We have been very clear - the war must stop, this has gone too far. Norway continues to call for an immediate and durable ceasefire. We call for the immediate release of hostages. We call for full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access in Gaza, as well as access to commercial supplies. The amount of goods reaching those in need is currently far from enough.
My thoughts are with the people of Gaza, who have lost so many of their family members and friends. It breaks my heart that more than 10,000 children have been killed since 7 October. Gaza’s children are paying the highest price for this war.
My thoughts are also with those in Israel who lost their loved ones and were victims of brutal violence on 7 October and the hostages inside Gaza.
The war has reminded us that there is no viable alternative to a peace process and a two-state solution. The international community cannot continue to look the other way. We cannot allow another 30 years of occupation, war, and unresolved conflict.
AA: How do you see Germany’s support for Israel in the ICJ and its increased military exports to Israel?
EBE: I can only speak on behalf of Norway. Norwegian export control policy does not permit the Norwegian defence industry to sell weapons and defence-related products to Israel.
AA: How did Norway transform from the poorest country in Europe to the richest with the largest sovereign wealth fund?
EBE: Norway’s success in the last century should be understood in light of our social and cultural background. Norway had an egalitarian culture, strong social movements and a solid democratic foundation long before it got wealthy.
Then, as we gradually became a modern, industrialized country, we became rich together, maintaining a high degree of social and geographical cohesion despite being a large country territory-wise but with a relatively small population. The distribution came before wealth.
Investing in our population and ensuring equal opportunity to all, including between women and men, allowed us to draw from the talents of the entire population. Our robust social welfare system developed in parallel to industrialization, not after we became wealthy.
Later, when we discovered oil and gas, we built further on a tradition of ensuring that our natural resources are the property of the people, not of individuals. The state’s share of the income and the taxes from the petroleum sector are kept for future generations in our sovereign wealth fund, which is destined to last eternally through worldwide investments.
The welfare provides a decent standard of living for all citizens. Everybody has access to free higher education, medical help and affordable child care. Men and women have equal opportunities and rights in the domestic sphere and the labour market. This has proven to be good for the national economy, as it increases productivity.
We have a stable, transparent and predictable political system characterized by low levels of corruption and a strong rule of law.
Due to our long experience in the petroleum industry, Norwegian companies can offer cutting-edge technology that is relevant in new green sectors, such as renewables, carbon capture and storage as well as the IT sector.
AA: Egypt is surrounded by conflicts, such as the wars in Gaza and Sudan, that affect peace and security in the region. How do you view these challenges, and how can they be overcome?
EBE: I want to commend Egypt for the constructive role the country is playing in the region. You are facilitating humanitarian deliveries to Gaza, you have an active diplomacy working towards ending the war and releasing the hostages. More than 400,000 Sudanese have fled to Egypt.
To solve the conflicts that are surrounding Egypt, the international community must step up its efforts and work even harder to achieve stability in the region. Ensuring freedom of navigation is of great strategic importance for the global economy, and for us with one of the largest shipping fleets in the world. We have condemned the attacks and are contributing 10 military officers to the Operation Prosperity Guardian.
AA: Norway is the guest of honour at this year’s edition of the Cairo International Book Fair. What is the significance of this and what do expect from it?
EBE: Being the guest of honour at the Cairo International Book Fair is a milestone for the introduction of Norwegian literature and culture to readers in Egypt and a wider Arabic-speaking audience.
It is a generous gesture from the Egyptian authorities. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity.
We expect that this will lead to new collaborations between Norwegian, Egyptian and Arab literary agents and publishers. A key goal for us is to strengthen the capacity for literary translation between Norwegian and Arabic. I hope this will facilitate more Egyptian and Arabic literature to become available to a Norwegian audience as well.
In these troubled times, cultural cooperation and dialogue can help to build bridges and understanding. The Library in Alexandria, designed by the Norwegian architect Snøhetta, is another example of cultural exchange between Norway and Egypt.
AA: Last year, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt signed an agreement with the Norwegian Scatec company and another UAE-based company to establish a green hydrogen facility to produce green ammonia.
Can you give any more details about the cost of the project, who will fund it, and what Norway will contribute? What will it take to produce such technology and transfer it to Egypt?
EBE: Scatec has several renewable energy projects in Egypt, many of them pioneering and first of their kind in the region and on the continent.
President El-Sisi and Norway’s Prime Minister Støre launched the first phase of the 100 MW electrolyser facility during COP27. The project is not up to full capacity yet, but it is up and running, and financing agreements have been signed.
This is one of Scatec’s projects that has benefitted from the highest level of government support in Egypt, and we are very grateful for the cooperation with Egyptian partners.
I am pleased to see the many other renewable projects of Scatec on the way, such as the production of green E-methanol, a project that will contribute to the establishment of a green bunkering facility across the Suez Canal. Another project in the pipeline is a new solar and battery storage system (BESS), which will be the first of its kind in Egypt.
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