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A Norwegian ambassador who was progressive successful Israeli-Palestinian bid efforts successful the 1990s and astir precocious served successful Jordan has resigned arsenic she faces scrutiny implicit her contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the country's Foreign Ministry said.
The Ministry announced Mona Juul's resignation connected Sunday (February 8, 2026) evening, days aft she was suspended arsenic Norway's ambassador to Jordan. That followed reports that Epstein near the children of Ms. Juul and her husband, Terje Rod-Larsen, $10 cardinal successful a volition drawn up soon earlier his decease by termination successful a New York situation successful 2019.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Ms. Juul's determination was “correct and necessary.” Her interaction with the convicted enactment offender showed a “serious lapse successful judgment,” helium said, adding that “the lawsuit makes it hard to reconstruct the spot that the relation requires.” A Ministry probe into Ms. Juul's cognition of and interaction with Epstein volition continue, and Ms. Juul volition proceed discussions with the Ministry “so that the substance tin beryllium clarified,” Mr. Eide said.
The Ministry said it besides launched a reappraisal of its backing of and interaction with the International Peace Institute, a New York-based deliberation tank, during the play erstwhile Mr. Rod-Larsen headed it. Mr. Eide said Mr. Rod-Larsen besides had shown mediocre judgement regarding Epstein.
Mr. Rod-Larsen and Ms. Juul were among those who facilitated the landmark Oslo Accords aimed astatine resolving the Israeli-Palestinian struggle successful the 1990s.
Ms. Juul acknowledged successful a connection to Norwegian quality bureau NTB past week that it had been “imprecise” to picture her interaction with Epstein arsenic minimal, but said that the interaction originated successful her husband's narration with Epstein and she had nary autarkic societal oregon nonrecreational narration with him.
She wrote that her interaction with Epstein had been sporadic and private, not portion of her authoritative duties, but acknowledged that she should person been overmuch much careful.
The latest batch of Epstein files has formed an unflattering spotlight connected respective salient Norwegian figures. Crown Princess Mette-Marit connected Friday (February 6, 2026) issued an apology “to each of you whom I person disappointed" aft documents offered much details of her narration with Epstein.
The country's economical crimes portion has opened a corruption probe into erstwhile Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland — who besides erstwhile headed the committee that hands retired the Nobel Peace Prize — implicit his ties with Epstein. His lawyer said Jagland would cooperate.
