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OSLO, Norway (AP) – A Norwegian ambassador known for her role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during the 1990s and most recently stationed in Jordan has stepped down amid a controversy involving her connections to Jeffrey Epstein, according to Norway’s Foreign Ministry.
The ministry revealed on Sunday evening that Mona Juul resigned following her suspension as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan. This action came in the wake of reports that Epstein had bequeathed $10 million to Juul’s children and those of her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, in a will drafted shortly before his 2019 suicide in a New York prison.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described Juul’s resignation as both “correct and necessary,” citing her interactions with the convicted sex offender as a “serious lapse in judgment.” He emphasized that the situation undermined the trust essential for her diplomatic role.
The ministry has initiated an investigation into Juul’s awareness and interactions with Epstein, and Juul will continue to engage in discussions with the ministry to resolve the issue, Eide stated.
Additionally, the ministry has begun reviewing its financial support and connections with the International Peace Institute, a New York think tank previously led by Rød-Larsen. Eide criticized Rød-Larsen for displaying similarly poor judgment concerning Epstein.
Both Rød-Larsen and Juul played significant roles in the development of the Oslo Accords, a pivotal effort aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1990s.
Juul acknowledged in a statement to Norwegian news agency NTB last week that it had been “imprecise” to describe her contact with Epstein as minimal, but said that the contact originated in her husband’s relationship with Epstein and she had no independent social or professional relationship with him.
She wrote that her contact with Epstein had been sporadic and private, not part of her official duties, but acknowledged that she should have been much more careful.
The latest batch of Epstein files has cast an unflattering spotlight on several prominent Norwegian figures. Crown Princess Mette-Marit on Friday issued an apology “to all of you whom I have disappointed” after documents offered more details of her relationship with Epstein.
The country’s economic crimes unit has opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland – who also once headed the committee that hands out the Nobel Peace Prize – over his ties with Epstein. His lawyer said Jagland would cooperate.
