- Norway edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Germany |
- Spain |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
Norway freezes Afghan aid over corruption
Published: 06 Sep 2011 12:23 GMT+02:00 | Print version
Updated: 06 Sep 2011 12:26 GMT+02:00
Norway has frozen 280 million kroner ($36 million) in aid to Afghanistan until Kabul clears up a corruption scandal surrounding Kabul Bank, the Norwegian deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Oslo will block payment of the funds until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Afghan authorities reach an agreement resolving the crisis plaguing Kabul Bank, the biggest private bank in Afghanistan now on the verge of bankruptcy after its management embezzled funds.
"A large part of our work in Afghanistan is contributing to good governance," deputy foreign minister Espen Barth Eide told business daily Dagens Naeringsliv (DN).
"What has happened at Kabul Bank is not an example of good governance," he added.
Several bank officials, including Mahmood Karzai, the brother of Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, have been accused of taking out large loans that were never repaid, totalling some $900 million, sources close to the case have said.
The IMF has insisted any financial aid package for Afghanistan would be conditional on the bank crisis being resolved.
"If the Afghan authorities and the IMF do not reach a solution, we will not return to 'business as usual'. Other solutions will have to be found," Barth Eide said.
In such an event, he said, Norwegian aid could be channelled through the United Nations. Until now, Oslo has been paying 40 percent of its aid to Kabul through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.
Jobs in Norway
|
Scrum Manager
Location: Sandnes
|
|
Subsea Installation Engineers
Location: Stavanger
|
|
Senior Corrosion Engineer
Location: Stavanger
|
|
Senior Engineer - Welding and Materials
Location: Stavanger
|
|
Project Accountant
Location: Stavanger
|
|
Product Sales Manager, Sweden Combisafe International AB
Location: Asker
|
|
Senior Project Manager
Location: Asker
|
|
Sales & Marketing Programme Manager
Location: Norge
|
|
Vice President EUR/ACIS
Location: Bergen
|
|
Engagement Manager
Location: Oslo
|
|
Cartographer / GIS Specialist
Location: Oslo
|
|
Senior Consultant
Location: Oslo
|
|
Account Manager
Location: Oslo
|
|
QA Lead
Location: Oslo
|
|
Communications Manager
Location: Sandvika
|
|
Lead Technical Assurance Engineer
Location: Sandvika
|
|
Operations Engineer - Offshore Operations
Location: Stavanger
|
|
Senior Project Manager
Location: Sandvika
|
|
Naxys Norway Sales Leader
Location: Bergen
|
|
Lead Engineer/Technologist
Location: Oslo
|
|
|
|
|
- 22/05 Four jailed for drugging internet date victims »
- 22/05 Swedish Riksbank unveils board members »
More news from Sweden at thelocal.se
- 22/05 'I hate Wagner but I hate him on my knees' »
- 22/05 Rösler wants dual citizenship for IT talent »
More news from Germany at thelocal.de
- 22/05 French embassy rapped for online banking link »
- 21/05 Denner wins capsule ruling over Nespresso »
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
- 22/05 Paris kidnapping gang targets rich women »
- 22/05 More trouble for Hollande as Socialist MP jailed »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe: Strengthening the Impact of the Council of Europe’s Activities (Thu, 16 May)
- We meet at a very important moment. As we here from the Secretary General the founding principles of this organisation, democracy, human rights and the rule of law are again under pressure in Europa. We have to take that very seriously, said Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, in his statement at the Council of Europe's meeting.
The Niwano Peace Prize to Gunnar StĂĄlsett (Thu, 16 May)
Ambassador Arne Walther gave this message on behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, at the award ceremony.
National statement by Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide (Wed, 15 May)
"The great interest that that non-Arctic states are taking in the coming observership is a tribute to the good work we have done together. I think it is very important to welcome the new observers and to appreciate their interest to working with us on the basis of the principles that we have agreed to”, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said at the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Kiruna, ...
Arctic Council welcomes new observers (Wed, 15 May)
“I am pleased that six new countries and the EU have been granted observer status in the Arctic Council. This confirms the Arctic Council’s key position as an international forum for discussing Arctic issues,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, who is taking part in the Kiruna Ministerial Meeting.
Your comments about this article:
The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.