ISLAMABAD: Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a two-day official visit, marking the highest-level engagement between Pakistan and Norway in a decade.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received Eide at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, where the two sides are holding delegation-level talks on strengthening bilateral relations.
Earlier, Norwegian Foreign Minister Eide was received at Islamabad airport by Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Ayesha Ali.
Pakistan-Norway talks focus on trade and investment
Eide is visiting Pakistan from August 13 to 14 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
During his stay, the Norwegian foreign minister is expected to hold detailed discussions with Pakistani officials on the full range of bilateral relations.
According to the Foreign Office, trade and investment will be among the key areas discussed during the visit. Both countries are also expected to explore ways to expand economic cooperation and identify new opportunities that could benefit businesses and investors on both sides.
The two countries will also discuss cooperation in climate change, renewable energy and education, along with greater people-to-people contacts.
These areas are particularly important as both Pakistan and Norway continue to explore opportunities for cooperation on sustainable development and clean energy.
Regional and global issues also on agenda
In addition to bilateral matters, the Pakistani and Norwegian delegations will exchange views on important regional and international developments.
The Foreign Office said the visit comes as part of continued high-level engagement between Islamabad and Oslo.
Canada’s Foreign Minister to Visit Pakistan
Dar and Eide have already remained in contact through telephone conversations held in March and April 2026, during which bilateral and regional matters were discussed.
Norway’s State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik also visited Islamabad in May, further reflecting the recent increase in diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
Norway-Pakistan relations
The Norwegian foreign minister’s visit is being viewed by Pakistan as an opportunity to build on the longstanding and cordial relations between the two countries.
The Foreign Office said the visit would help both sides explore new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation while further strengthening bilateral ties.
With discussions covering economic cooperation, climate change, renewable energy, education and regional developments, the two-day visit is expected to provide a platform for Pakistan and Norway to deepen their partnership across multiple sectors.
Eide’s visit also highlights the renewed diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Oslo after several high-level contacts between officials from both countries in recent months.
