Relationship dossier
Norway
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Norway and Switzerland maintain a durable cooperative relationship, especially through EFTA trade arrangements.
Norway toward Switzerland
+35Norway participates in the EFTA Convention, which provides a framework for trade with Switzerland and other member states.
Switzerland toward Norway
+35Switzerland participates in the EFTA Convention, which provides a framework for trade with Norway and other member states.
Overall relationship
+35The EFTA Convention provides a durable basis for economic cooperation between Norway and Switzerland. Their differing relationships with the European Union distinguish their wider European policy frameworks, but the known bilateral structure is chiefly cooperative.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Norway and Switzerland cooperate through the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), whose convention provides a durable framework for trade among member states. Both countries also participate in European cooperation arrangements, though their differing relationships with the European Union shape their respective policies. The relationship is substantially cooperative, particularly in economic matters; the breadth of additional direct bilateral cooperation is less clear.
Key developments
Norway and Switzerland joined the European Free Trade Association established by the Stockholm Convention.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct bilateral cooperation beyond EFTA is unclear.
- The practical impact of the two countries' differing European Union arrangements on bilateral policy is unclear.