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Bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Norway

(This article expired 03.10.2014.)

The Czech Republic and Norway established diplomatic relations on January 1, 1993. The Czech Republic is represented in Norway through its Embassy in Oslo and several honorary consulates across the country. Norway is represented in the Czech Republic through its Embassy in Prague. Both countries are full members of NATO, of the Council of Europe and of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Relations between the Czech Republic and Norway have traditionally been friendly. The two countries are linked by their NATO membership, emphasis on the transatlantic link and partnership in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Schengen Area. With its supplies of natural gas Norway has been a strategic partner of the Czech Republic since 1997 as it helps to diversify sources of energy. Norwegian gas currently covers approximately one-fourth of the gas consumption in the Czech Republic.

Norwayalso represents one of the Czech Republic´s traditional trading partners and Norway currently is its 22nd biggest trading partner in terms of trade turnover.

The countries’ good relations are supported by cooperation on projects financed out of the funds that Norway provides to the Czech Republic (and other new EU/EEA members) as part of EFTA countries’ bilateral financial mechanism since 2004. Inthe funding period 2004-09, the Czech Republic has been allocated €110.9 million, and in the funding period 2009-14 €131.8 million. Environment, public health, preservation of the cultural heritage, children and research are prioritised areas.

Cooperation between the two countries has been focusing on economic relations, security issues, and energy

Wide-range cooperation between the Czech Republic and Norway also includes close ties between cities and universities such as for example between cities of Molde and Česká Lípa or universities of Oslo (University of Oslo) and Prague (Charles University).

 

State visits

The following visits took place:

  • In March 1997, the Norwegian Royal Couple to the Czech Republic made its fist visit to the Czech Republic to meet with the Czech President Václav Havel. The Royal Couple, H.M. King Harald V. and H.M. Queen Sonja, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Bjørn Tore Godal and Minister of Trade and Industry Grete Knudsen
  • In March 2000, the official visit ofthe Czech Prime Minister Miloš Zeman to Norway
  • In October 2003, Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik paid an official visit to the Czech Republic
  • In May 2005, the official visit of the Czech President Václav Klaus to Norway, incl. audience with the King H.M. Harald V. and meeting with Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
  • In January 2006, the official visit of the Czech Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek to Norway
  • In January 2009, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg paid an official visit to the Czech Republic

Other visits and bilateral meetings

  • In April 1993, the Chairman of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Milan Uhde visited Norway
  • In April 1994, unofficial visit of the Czech Prime Minister Václav Klaus to Norway on the occasion of Olympic games, meeting with Prime Minister Gro H. Bruntland
  • In April 1994, the Chairwoman of the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) Kirsti Kolle Grøndahl visited the Czech Republic
  • In July 1995, visit of the Norwegian Minister of defense J. Kosmo to the Czech Republic
  • In August 1995, visit of the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bjørn Tore Godal to the Czech Republic
  • In April 1996, visit of the Czech Minister of Defence Vilém Holáň to Norway
  • In May 1996, visit of the Norwegian Minister of Culture Åse Kleveland to the Czech Republic
  • In May 1998, visit of the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Kühnl to Norway
  • In February 1999, visit of the Czech Deputy Prime Ministers Egon Lánský and Pavel Mertlík to Norway
  • In May 1999, the State secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs J. Skjaerestad visited Prague for consultations with the First Deputy Ministr of Foreign Affairs
  • In June 1999, Czech minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kavan visited Oslo to meet with Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Knut Vollebaek
  • In February 2000, Norwegian Minister of Defence Eldbjørg Løwer visited the Czech Republic
  • In May 2000, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Thorbjørn Jagland visited the Czech Republic
  • In November 2011, Norwegian Deputy Minister of Justice Ola Maeland visited the Czech Republic
  • In April 2001, delegation of the Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In June 2001, delegation of the Committee for Public Administration, Regional Development and Environment of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In February 2002, delegation of the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In April 2002, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Kavan visited Oslo to meet with Norwegian Minister of foreign Affairs Jan Petersen
  • In April 2002, delegation of the Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions of Senate of the Czech republic visited Norway
  • In November 2002, participation of Norway’s delegation headed by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Petersen in the NATO Summit in Prague
  • In March 2003, delegation of the Committee for Defence and Security of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In June 2003, Czech Minister for Health Miroslava Součková combined the working visit of Norway with the attendance of the 7thConference of Health Ministers of European Countries
  • In June 2003, delegation of the Agricultural Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In December 2003, the Chairman of the Foreign Committee of Parliament (Storting) Thorbjørn Jagland visited the Czech Republic
  • In February 2004, the State Secretary for European Affairs of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jan Kohout visited Oslo to meet with his Norwegian counterpart
  • In June 2004, delegation of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In September 2004, delegation of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs of Parliament (Storting) visited Czech Republic
  • In October 2004, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Petersen visited Prague to meet with Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Cyril Svoboda
  • In October 2004, Storting´s Standing Committee on Agriculture visited the Czech Republic
  • In March 2005, the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kim Traavik visited Prague
  • In March 2005, Norwegian Minister of Labour and Government Administration Morten Andreas Meyer visited the Czech Republic
  • In April 2005, delegation of the Committee for European Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In May 2005, delegation of the OSCE parliamentary group of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic attended the 4th Sub-regional Conference “The High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation”
  • 24 May 2005, delegation of the Storting Intelligence Services Oversight Committee visited the Czech Republic
  • In December 2005, delegation of the Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In March 2006, delegation of the Committee for Public Administration, Regional Development and Environment of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In April 2007, delegation of the Committee for European Affairs of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In April 2007, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg attended a meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs ministers in Oslo
  • In May 2007, the Permanent delegation of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament attended the Parlamentarian Assembly of Western European Union in Spitzbergen
  • In October 2007, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg visited Oslo to meet with his counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre
  • In November 2007, delegation of the Permanent Commission on Equal Opportunities of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In March 2008, the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elizabeth Walaas visited Prague to have series of consultations with the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomáš Pojar
  • In May 2008, delegation of the Committee on Health and Social Policy of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In September 2008, Czech Minister of the Environment Martin Bursík visited Noway
  • In November 2008, delegation of the Storting Foreign Affairs Committee visited the Czech Republic
  • In December 2008, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg attended the signing of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo
  • In December 2008, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre visited Prague to meet with his counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg
  • In April 2009, the official visit by President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Přemysl Sobotka
  • In May 2009, the Permanent Delegation of the Czech Parliament to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly attended a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Oslo
  • In May 2011, delegation of the Health Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In June 2011, the Permanent Delegation of the Czech Parliament to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly attended a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Tromsø
  • In June 2011, the Permanent Delegation of the Czech Parliament to the Council of Europe attended a session of Committee for legal issues and human rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Oslo
  • In June 2011, Deputy minister of the Agriculture of the Czech Republic Jan Novák attended Forrest Europe Conference in Oslo
  • In September 2011, delegation of the Permanent Commission for Czechs living abroad of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In March 2012, delegation of the Committee for Local Government and regional Development of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway
  • In October 2012, delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic visited Norway

Bilateral Agreements with the Kingdom of Norway

Since the Czech Republic´s membership in the EU the bilateral trade relations have been guided by the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

The issue of succession of the Czech Republic into the majority of bilateral agreements between the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and the Kingdom of Norway was settled by the signature of the Protocol between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway on Agreements guiding bilateral Czech-Norwegian relations on 11 November 1993.

Currently the following Agreements are in force:

  • Convention on peaceful settlement of all international disputes between CSR and Norway (Geneve, 9 September 1929)
  • Agreement on cultural relations between CSR and Norway (Oslo, 11 March 1937)
  • Protocol on settlement of unresolved financial matters between CSR and Norway (Praha, 9 June 1954)
  • Agreement on the air transport between the government of the Czech Republic and the government of the Kingdom of Norway (Stockholm, 4 June 1998)
  • Agreement between the government of the CSSR and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on international road transport
  • Agreement between the government of the CSSR and the Kingdom of Norway on avoidance of double taxation and on prevention of income and property tax evasion (Oslo, 27 June 1979)
  • Agreement on reciprocal arrangements regarding the visa for diplomatic and administrative staff of Embassies of both countries (Praha, 10 March 1980)
  • Agreement between the government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on abolishment of visas (Praha, 13 July 1990)
  • Agreement between the government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on the protection and support of investment (Oslo, 21 May 1991)
  • Free trade agreement between the EFTA states and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. The Czech Republic signed the Protocol on Succession in Geneve on 19 April 1993. The Czech Republic withdrew from the agreement in connection with the upcoming EU membership in November 2003.
  • Protocol on the trade in agricultural products between the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and Norway. The Czech Republic completed succession into the Protocol by exchange of letters on 29 September 1993 and 6 October 1993. The Protocol covers trade in agricultural products which are not included in the Free Trade Agreement between the EFTA states and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. The Czech Republic withdrew from the Protocol in connection with the upcoming EU membership in November 2003
  • Agreement between the government of the Czech Republic and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on cooperation by the protection of environment (Lausanne, 28 April 1993)
  • Agreement between the government of the Czech Republic and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on export of textile products from the Czech Republic and its import into Norway. The quantitative restrictions were abolished from the 1 January 1998 and the import is fully liberalized (Oslo, 11 November 1993)
  • Agreement between the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Norway on cooperation in the field of defence matters and relations of common interest
  • Agreement between the government of the Czech Republic and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on customs cooperation (Oslo, 22 April 1999)
  • Agreement between the government of the Czech Republic and the Kingdom of Norway on avoidance of double taxation and on prevention of income tax evasion (Praha, 19 October 2004)