Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg reshuffled the government on Friday. Jonas Gahr Støre, Foreign Minister in the period from 2005 till today, takes over the post as Minister of Health and Care Services.
Norway’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs is Espen Barth Eide. He comes from the post as Minsiter of Defence and is well known among the actors in the Norwegian, Russian cooperation.
“Espen Barth Eide is an eminent politician with broad experience from foreign affair matters and politics,” Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told reporters when he presented his new team of ministers outside the Royal Castle in Oslo before lunch on Friday.
Espen Barth Eide has earlier been State Secretary for in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the period 2000-2001, and has been State Secretary in the Defense Ministry in the period from 2005 to 2010. For the last two years, he has been Minister of Defence.
Before starting to work for the Government, Espen Barth Eide was a researcher in the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
Espen Barth Eide will in the postition as Foreign Minister also be the head of the Barents Council, as Norway is in the chair for the period 2011-2013.
