New Norwegian ambassador to Jordan and Iraq appointed

Norway has appointed Andreas Løvold as its new ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, with his base in Amman. Løvold, who has been with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2004, previously served as deputy ambassador to the UN in New York.

He takes over from Mona Juul, who concluded her term as ambassador in February. Juul's exit from the diplomatic post came after it became public that she and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, had maintained significant contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier convicted of sex trafficking offenses.

At the time of Juul's departure, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that Juul's contact with Epstein demonstrated a "serious lapse in judgment." Eide added that the case made it difficult to restore the trust required for her role as ambassador.

Løvold's appointment was confirmed following Friday's cabinet meeting. His prior experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and his role at the UN mission in New York are expected to inform his approach to the ambassadorship in Amman.

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Juuls contact with overgrepsdømte Epstein har vist en alvorlig svikt i dømmekraften. Saken gjør det vanskelig å gjenreise den tilliten som rollen krever.