Greece–Norway relations
Encyclopedia
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The Greek Embassy in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
opened in 1980 and the Norwegian Embassy in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
opened in 1974.
Greece's embassy in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
(since 1980) and an honorary consulate in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
represents Greece diplomatically in Norway. Norway has an embassy in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and six honorary consulates in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. Both countries are members of NATO.
Agreements
The two countries have signed the Treaty on Social Security (1980), a Treaty on Cultural Agreement (1976), and an Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation (1988).Tourism
Greece, which ranks very high on the list of Norwegian tourist preferences, is amongst the top contenders, welcoming about 22% of the tourist population, which is estimated at some 250,000 people throughout the year. The tourist traffic flows from Norway to Greece in recent years have been increasing and Greece is a favorite destination for NorwegiansNorwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
. According to the Greek Statistical Service the number of Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
who visited Greece in 2002 came to 181,383 and in 2003 to 230,232. The island of Antiparos
Antiparos
Antiparos is a small inhabited island in the southern Aegean, at the heart of the Cyclades, which is less than one nautical mile from Paros, the port to which it is connected with a local ferry...
has often been described as the Norwegian island because here is more Norwegian tourists than any other tourists without Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
.
Economic relations
Through the European Economic Area Agreement (EEAEEA
EEA or Eea may refer to:* Eea or Electron affinity, the energy required to detach an electron from a singly charged negative ion* River Eea, in Cumbria, England* EEA Helicopter Operations, a Dutch subsidiary of CHC Helicopter...
), Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
is a part of EU’s Internal Market, and in addition has incorporated EU legislation to ensure that the ”Four Freedoms” governing the EU/EEA Internal Market (i.e. free movement of goods, persons, capital, services), are being observed.
As part of the EEA Agreement, Norway with the two other EFTA
EFTA
EFTA may refer to:* European Family Therapy Association, an NGO.* European Fair Trade Association, an association of eleven Fair Trade importers in nine European countries....
States have established the EEA Financial Mechanisms in order to contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities within the European Economic Area
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
Since 2001, Greek exports to Norway have increased in pharmaceuticals, cotton, clothing, non-ferrous metals, plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s, steel products, and fresh fruit and in 2003 amounted to some NOK
NOK
NOK or Nok may refer to:*Kiel Canal *Norwegian krone, NOK is the ISO 4217 code and is used as an abbreviation for the currency.*NYSE stock ticker for Nokia Corporation, based in Finland...
430 million (€52, 800, 000 approximately). Norway exports fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
products, maritime equipment, aluminium alloys, and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, which in 2003 amounted to about NOK 970 million. Norwegian exports to Greece amount to approximately NOK 1,2 billion per year. Norway enjoys a large surplus of trade as the imports from Greece remain at just over NOK 400 million per year. Although trade between Greece and Norway has shown a slight decrease in the last three years, efforts are being made to boost trade and investment. The processes and projects associated with the implementation and strengthening of the EEA Mechanisms should bring more interaction between Greece and Norway, especially when it comes to the business sector.
The sectors that are of particular interest to Norwegian exporters are Seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, Environmental Technology
Environmental technology
Environmental technology or green technology or clean technology is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of...
and Alternative Energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
as well as Shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
and Ship-Building. There has been a long shipping tradition between Greece and Norway and ships are sold and bought between the two countries frequently. Norwegian companies sell catamarans and other vessels as well as technological equipment to their Greek counterparts. Norwegian maritime exporters participate at POSEIDONIA Exhibition held in Greece and further development of relations with the Greek shipping industry in order to increase Norwegian shipping exports is desirable.
The value of direct Norwegian investments in Greece came to NOK 1,006 million at the end of 2002 – an important increase compared with previous years (2001: 605, 2000: 864, 1998: NOK 352 million).
In general, Norway promotes its expertise and strength in Building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
and Construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, Consumer Goods, ICT
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
, Maritime Industry, Oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and Gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
, Process Industry, Environmental Technology
Environmental technology
Environmental technology or green technology or clean technology is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of...
, Seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, and Services.
Ambassadors
The Norwegian ambassadors to GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
:
- Kåre DæhlenKåre DæhlenKåre Dæhlen is a Norwegian diplomat.He is a cand.philol. by education, and started working for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1955. He served as the Norwegian ambassador to Greece from 1974 to 1976, to Poland from 1981 to 1986, to India from 1986 to 1990 and to Austria from 1990 to...
(1974–1975) - Inge Reidarssøn Rindal (1975–1981)
- Kjell RasmussenKjell RasmussenKjell Rasmussen is a Norwegian diplomat.He was born in Trondhjem and is a mag.art. by education. He started working for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1956. He served as the Norwegian ambassador to Greece from 1981 to 1986, and doubled as ambassador to Libya from 1984...
(1981–1985) - Tancred Ibsen, Jr.Tancred Ibsen, Jr.Tancred Ibsen, Jr. is a Norwegian diplomat.He was born in Oslo as a son of Tancred Ibsen and Lillebil Ibsen. He is the great-grandson of both playwright Henrik Ibsen and Nobel Prize laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. He holds the cand.oecon. and cand.jur. degrees of higher education...
(1986–1989) - Nils Oscar Dietz (1990–1994)
- Bjørn BarthBjørn BarthBjørn Barth is a Norwegian diplomat.He was born in Sandefjord, and started working for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1960. He was promoted to deputy under-secretary of state in 1986. He served as the Norwegian ambassador to the OECD from 1989 to 1993, to Greece from 1993 to 1996 and...
(1994–1996) - Rolf Trolle AndersenRolf Trolle AndersenRolf Trolle Andersen is a Norwegian diplomat and royal servant.He was born in Oslo as a son of diplomat Rolf Andersen and maternal grandson of Danish polar explorer Alf Trolle. He is a cand.jur. by education, and started working for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971.In 1979 he was...
(1996–1998) - Jan Wessel HeggJan Wessel HeggJan Wessel Hegg is a Norwegian diplomat.He has served as the ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Greece, Indonesia and Latvia.He is a distant relative of Peter Wessel.-References:...
(1998–2001) - Finn Kristen FostervollFinn Kristen FostervollFinn Kristen Fostervoll is a Norwegian diplomat.He was a journalist from 1962 to 1969, and later studied political science, with his MA degree taken at Carleton University in 1972. He started working for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972, and was promoted to assistant secretary in...
(2001–2006) - Sverre StubSverre StubSverre Stub is a Norwegian diplomat.He is a siv.øk. by education, and started working for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971. He served at the United Nations delegation in Geneva from 1986 to 1990, at the embassy in Paris from 1990 to 1994, and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
(2006-)
Immigration
The Greek community in Norway consists of 1,671 individuals in 2009, up from 1,572 in 2008. The majority are established in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
more or less permanently. An overwhelming majority have created family ties, by marrying Norwegian nationals. Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
has the highest number of Greek pupils in the country, 8 of 11.
The Greek Orthodox Church in Norway
The congregation was founded in 1965 with main purpose to serve the Greek-speaking Greek Orthodox in Norway. Church fall under Metropolita Pavlos Menevissoglou of SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, based in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Parish priest Archimandrite Evmenios Likakis and others. There is one Greek Orthodox church in Norway (in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
). There is also a small congregation in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
with 98 members, St. Michael's Orthodox Church.
See also
- Foreign relations of GreeceForeign relations of GreeceProminent issues in Greek foreign policy include the enduring dispute over Cyprus and differences with Turkey over the Aegean, the dispute over the name of the Republic of Macedonia , and relations with the United States.-Overview:Greece has diplomatic relations with almost all the...
- Foreign relations of NorwayForeign relations of NorwayThe foreign relations of Norway are based on the country's membership in NATO and within the workings of the United Nations . Additionally, Norway takes part in the integration of the European Union through its membership in the European Economic Area...
- Orthodoxy in NorwayOrthodoxy in NorwayOrthodoxy in Norway is a small minority religion in Norway with 8,492 official members in 2010, up from 2,315 in 2000.- History of the Orthodox Church in Norway :...