– This is so petty
The EU, the US and the UK have granted Ukraine customs freedom. Ukraine also wants the same from the EFTA countries – Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, but Norway is hesitant.
– This is so petty of the government, says Liberal representative Alfred Bjørlo Today’s business (DN).
I another article writes the newspaper that Ukraine wants full customs freedom for the EFTA countries.
According to DN, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland have reacted to Norway’s hesitation.
Before a meeting in September, all the EFTA countries, including Norway, had said they were willing to consider changing the free trade agreement. In a summary DN has seen, it should be stated that Norway would not agree to meet Ukraine to discuss a change to the agreement. The justification must have been about agriculture.
The other countries have, according to the newspaper, asked Norway not to block an agreement, and Liechtenstein is said to have proposed to keep agriculture out. Norway is said to have replied that Norway already supports Ukraine with, among other things, weapons and money.
DN writes that the Norwegian delegation said that Norway will not block another meeting, but half a year later there has still been no meeting between the EFTA countries and Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Secretary Erling Rimestad writes to the newspaper that it may be appropriate to make an agreement.
– At the same time, there are many ways to assist Ukraine, not least as we already do in collaboration with our partners, he writes.