Точка Синхронізації

Mona Juul, a veteran Norwegian diplomat and current ambassador to Jordan, resigned from her post on Thursday following intense public and political scrutiny regarding her past professional and social associations with the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the resignation after domestic media reports detailed Juul’s historical interactions with Epstein, which occurred during her high-profile career spanning several decades. The diplomat, who rose to international prominence as a primary architect of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine, decided to step down to avoid further distraction from Norway's diplomatic mission in the Middle East as the ministry continues to evaluate the nature of her past connections. The controversy intensified after investigative reports revealed that Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, had various engagements with Epstein during the 2010s. Rød-Larsen had previously resigned as president of the International Peace Institute in 2020 after it was disclosed that he had personally borrowed money from Epstein and secured donations for the think tank from the convicted sex offender. The fresh scrutiny on Juul centers on whether her contacts with Epstein were transparently reported to the Foreign Ministry and if these relationships influenced or compromised her official duties in any capacity. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that while the ministry respects Juul’s long tenure and significant contributions to peace diplomacy, the decision to resign was necessary to maintain the integrity of the foreign service. The ministry had been conducting internal inquiries into the matter as public pressure mounted in Oslo. Juul’s departure marks the end of a long career that included serving as Norway’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as Ambassador to the United Kingdom, leaving a vacancy in the Jordanian embassy at a critical time for regional stability.