ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP): Ethiopia has ordered six Norwegian diplomats to leave the country by Sept. 15, expressing "dissatisfaction" with Norway's conduct in the Horn of Africa region, the Norwegian foreign affairs minister said Monday.
Ethiopia asked Norway to withdraw the six diplomats on Aug. 15 and since then, Norwegian officials have tried to get their Ethiopian counterparts to clarify the reasons for the order, but with no success, Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said.
Ethiopian officials were not immediately available for comment.
"We are surprised and regret the Ethiopian authorities' unilateral decision," Stoere said in a statement posted on the ministry's Web site.
"We must now take the consequences of the fact that the Ethiopian authorities are upholding their decision and we are therefore making preparations to withdraw six diplomats from our embassy in (the Ethiopian capital) Addis Ababa."
The statement said that the expulsion of the diplomats did not "imply" a break in diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.
--------------
Ethiopia orders Norway to withdraw 6 diplomats
Mon 27 Aug 2007, 19:15 GMT
OSLO, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Ethiopia has asked Norway to withdraw six diplomats from Addis Ababa because of "dissatisfaction" with Norway's conduct in the Horn of Africa, the Norwegian foreign ministry said on Monday.
"We are surprised and regret the Ethiopian authorities' unilateral decision," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.
He did not say whether Ethiopia had explained the background to its demand.
"We must now take the consequences of the fact that the Ethiopian authorities are upholding their decision and we are therefore making preparations to withdraw six diplomats from our embassy in Addis Ababa (by Sept. 15)," Stoere said.
The "sharp reduction in staffing" meant Norway might not be able to maintain development cooperation with Ethiopia at current levels, he said. Oil-rich Norway is one of the world's biggest aid donors in per capita terms.
"This does not imply a break in Norway's diplomatic relations with Ethiopia," the foreign ministry said, adding that its embassy in Ethiopia was also responsible for Oslo's relations with the African Union.
--------------------
Meles is Going down