OSLO, Norway — Norway’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the resignation of Ambassador Mona Juul following intensified scrutiny over her connections with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The veteran diplomat, who recently served as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and played a significant role in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations during the 1990s, stepped down from her position on Sunday.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide characterized Juul’s decision as both “correct and necessary,” citing a “serious lapse in judgment” in her interactions with Epstein. The resignation comes days after Juul’s suspension from her ambassadorial post in Jordan, triggered by revelations that Epstein had bequeathed $10 million to Juul’s children in a will drafted shortly before his 2019 suicide in a New York prison.
The ministry has initiated a comprehensive investigation into Juul’s awareness of and communications with Epstein, which will proceed despite her resignation. Additionally, officials have launched a separate review of Norway’s funding and engagement with the International Peace Institute, a New York-based think tank formerly led by Juul’s husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, who also maintained ties with Epstein.
Juul acknowledged in a statement to Norwegian news agency NTB that her previous characterization of interactions with Epstein as “minimal” had been imprecise. She clarified that her contact with Epstein derived exclusively from her husband’s relationship with the financier and emphasized that these interactions were sporadic, private, and unrelated to her official duties.
The Epstein scandal has extended beyond Juul to other prominent Norwegian figures. Crown Princess Mette-Marit recently issued a public apology following disclosures about her association with Epstein, while the country’s economic crimes unit has opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland regarding his Epstein connections.
Rød-Larsen and Juul were instrumental in facilitating the historic Oslo Accords during the 1990s, which established a framework for peace between Israel and Palestine. Their longstanding diplomatic careers now face unprecedented scrutiny amid the ongoing Epstein-related investigations.