Tazeen Akhtar
Norway is helping Pakistan in the production of renewable energy and the major achievement in this regard is 150 MW solar plants in Sukkur that was launched in February 2024.
The Norwegian renewables company Scatec ASA successfully launched the plant generating 300 GWh of clean, renewable energy annually from these plants which represent foreign direct investment from Norway of around USD 114 million. They provide electricity to 150 thousand homes.
The information was shared by Ambassador of Norway H.E Per Albert Ilsaas in his address to the guests at the reception hosted by him at the residence on the occasion of Constitution Day of Norway on 17 May 2024.
Ambassador expressed his thankfulness to the federal government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Pakistan in Oslo and the SIFC as well as the government of Sindh for providing invaluable assistance in getting this exciting project successfully up and running.
H.E Per Albert Ilsaas termed the relations between Pakistan and Norway as close and robust, and said that we value them.
“In December last year, we celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations. On that occasion, our Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, especially highlighted the arrival in Norway of Pakistani migrant workers from 1970 onward, Ambassador shared in his address.
He said that Pakistanis were the first non-Western immigrant group in Norway, quickly becoming the largest immigrant group in the country. In many ways, this was the beginning of Norway’s development into a more diverse country.
H.E quoted his Prime Minister as the later said “When we reflect on our shared history, we have much to celebrate and look forward to.”
Per Albert Ilsaas: Pak-Norway Have More Potential for Trade – Telenore to Stay here, Scatec ASA embarking on solar power plant in Sukkur
The recent extradition from Pakistan of a Norwegian citizen (Arfan Qadeer Bhatti) suspected of involvement in a deadly terrorist attack in capital Oslo, in the summer of 2022 was also touched by the Ambassador. Pakistan extradited the suspect despite there was no such agreement between the two countries only to bring the suspect to justice.
Ambassador expressed his gratitude for this gesture of government of Pakistan and recalled the press conference of Minister of Justice and Public Security, Emilie Enger Mehl on 3 May 2024.
The Minister had stressed that this (extradition) had been a matter of very high importance for the Norwegian government. She described the extradition as resulting from very good cooperation with the Pakistani government. And she expressed her sincere thanks for this co-operation and the good will exhibited by Pakistan .
Ambassador highly appreciated the excellent cooperation and assistance extended to the Embassy by foreign office of Pakistan and embassy in Oslo, every day, in matters large and small.
On a lighter note, the Ambassador noted, “For me, it remains a true delight to be posted to Islamabad. This past year, I was only “invited” to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on one occasion for a “talking to”.
H.E thanked Additional Foreign Secretary Europe, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, for making first meeting such a convivial and pleasant one despite the seriousness and sternness of the message conveyed.
Ambassador of Norway was optimistic on friendship and trust between two countries. He said that we can work through very occasional disagreements.
“We look forward to continuing the good relations both with the Europe and Protocol Divisions, as well as other divisions at the foreign office and other government departments, H.E concluded.
Here it is worth mentioning that this scribe was aware of the extradition case when the suspect Arfan Qadeer Bhatti was being summoned by the Islamabad Commissioner office but he did not showed up there months ago.
The background of the case is that, on the night of June 25, 2022, a man opened fire outside two bars in central Oslo killing 2 men and wounding 9 others. The suspected shooter, Zaniar Matapour, 44-year Norwegian of Iranian origin, is on trial. Arfan Qadeer Bhatti, 46-year-old lived and is well known in Norway, is suspected of having planned the attack but left Norway for Pakistan before the shooting#
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