The Norwegian government announced Tuesday it will move its embassy from Venezuela to Colombia due to rapid growth in the Colombian economy.
The Norwegian foreign minister announced it will move its embassy from Caracas, Venezuela, to Bogota, Colombia in 2013.
“On the basis of political and economic developments in the region, in addition to the security situation in Venezuela, [Norway] has decided to close the embassy in Caracas and reopen in Bogota. Colombia is an economy experiencing rapid growth, and the Colombian government maintains an active reform policy”, said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
According to the world bank, Colombia’s economy grew by 5.9% in 2011, a rate signficiantly higher than the Latin American average of 4.7%.
Eide also noted Norway’s prior and continuing involvement in peace and reconciliation initiatives relating to Colombia’s internal conflict as a reason for the change.