Norwegian Ambassador Resigns Following Scrutiny Over Contacts with Jeffrey Epstein
OSLO, Norway — A prominent Norwegian diplomat who played a key role in the historic Oslo Accords has resigned from her post as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq amid intensifying scrutiny regarding her past contacts with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that Mona Juul submitted her resignation days after being suspended from her duties. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described the decision as “correct and necessary,” stating that Juul’s interactions with Epstein demonstrated a “serious lapse in judgment.”
“The case makes it difficult to restore the trust that the role requires,” Eide said in a statement. He noted that while the ministry’s internal investigation into the full scope of Juul’s contacts is ongoing, the ambassador’s ability to effectively represent Norway had been compromised.
The resignation follows revelations that surfaced in recently released documents and media reports, which indicated that Epstein had named Juul’s children as beneficiaries in a will drafted shortly before his death by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019. Reports suggest Epstein intended to leave approximately $10 million to the children of Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen.
Juul and Rød-Larsen are well-known figures in international diplomacy, having been instrumental in facilitating the secret negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords.
In a statement issued through her lawyer, Thomas Skjelbred, Juul explained that the pressure from the situation had made it “impossible” for her to continue in her official capacity. “The situation she now finds herself in makes it impossible for her to discharge her duties in a responsible manner,” Skjelbred said, adding that the controversy had placed an “enormous personal strain” on Juul and her family.
Juul has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but characterized the interactions as sporadic and primarily linked to her husband’s professional network. Rød-Larsen, a former United Nations envoy, resigned in 2020 from his position as president of the International Peace Institute (IPI) after it was revealed the think tank had accepted substantial donations from Epstein’s foundations. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry has stated it is also reviewing its own funding of the IPI during Rød-Larsen’s tenure.
The controversy surrounding Juul is part of a broader fallout in Norway triggered by new information contained in the “Epstein Files.” The documents have cast a spotlight on several high-profile figures, including former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who recently issued an apology for her past association with the financier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a deputy ambassador will lead the mission in Jordan until a permanent replacement is appointed. Juul has pledged to continue cooperating with the ministry’s internal review.
* middleeastmonitor.com
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* ksat.com
* thesun.my
* apnews.com
* sundayguardianlive.com
