Frogner MDG Deputy Leader Paal J. Frisvold addressed voters at Frogner Park on Thursday, when a minibus carrying top Norwegian diplomats arrived to show the park to their foreign guests.
The Iranians in the entourage spoke to Frisvold and explained that they were from Tehran, the capital of Iran.
– Then you have a big job to do. You have to get rid of the current regime, Frisvold said.
But this did not please the Norwegian ambassador to Israel, Kåre Aas.
“Stop, run away, you can’t talk to these people,” Frisvold claims Ambassador Aas told him in English.
Politician Paal J. Frisvold and three other members of the MDG were at Frognerparken speaking to visitors to the city of Oslo, when they had a conversation with the Foreign Ministry entourage.
Photo: Paal J. Frisvold
– Damn shit party
Frisvold shared the incident, which he considers “disappointing” and “shocking” in his opinion. the Facebook page Today. On the spot, he was removed from the comment and returned to those around him to inquire about the type of behavior of which he had been the victim.
Many of Frisvold’s friends on Facebook are shocked by what Foreign Ministry employees told him at Frognerparken yesterday. He shared the incident with his friends today.
Photo: Facebook screenshot
It was then that the director of the Peace and Reconciliation section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Lisa Golden, approached him.
– She is visibly angry and upset and threatens me by saying: “If you pick up, I will report you to the police!” You are not allowed to take photos!” says Frisvold, who is also a member of the MDG central board of directors.
“By the way, you should think about the reputation of your party, but anyway, I will never vote for your damn party!”, Frisvold said, according to the department director.
– You can call the MDGs a shit party, but I have the right to express myself on what I want in Norway, says Frisvold.
Kåre R. Aas is the Norwegian ambassador to Israel and was previously ambassador to the United States.
Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB / NTB
Sorry on the phone
Peace and Reconciliation Section Director Lisa Golden called Frisvold herself to apologize for the use of words last night.
But the MDG politician believes the problem is not just the use of words.
– The fact is that she went way too far. She is so afraid that we will weaken her relationship with a regime that she was willing to compromise with the most important values we have in Norway, Frisvold says.
– What we have done is democracy in practice.
Norway’s role as mediator cannot go beyond Norwegian democratic values, believes Frisvold, still shaken by the incident.
– His behavior was not diplomatic. Ambassador Kåre Aas did not call or apologize. It’s arrogance against the values they are supposed to promote in the world, says MDG politician.
Neither Director Golden nor Ambassador Aas responded to NRK’s inquiries on Thursday.
Lisa Golden (far left) is now Director of the Peace and Reconciliation Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here, excerpt from a meeting on peace negotiations between representatives of the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government in 2002.
Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB / NTB
Sorry for the incident
Neither the Aas ambassador nor the director of the Golden department will be interviewed, according to the communications advisor. Mariken Bruusgaard Harbitz at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She writes that the matter is now being handled internally at the ministry.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets this incident. Our employee apologized to Frisvold. This is a single, unfortunate incident. Protecting and promoting freedom of expression is an important part of our work, both at home and abroad.“.
Also last year, the Foreign Ministry apologized for an employee’s behavior when a Norwegian diplomat said she hated Russians at a hotel in Russia.
The episode was filmed.
