The two countries' relationship dates back to the 1950s, and mainly started because Evangelical-Lutheran missionaries saw to Ethiopia as a field of mission.

[1] Norway condemned the Eritrean–Ethiopian War of 1998, also putting future bilateral agreements with Ethiopia on hold.

[3] In 2019, a Norwegian parliamentary delegation visited Ethiopia, touring schools, democracy forums, and the country's forest restoration program.

[4] Furor over human rights abuses have colored the nations' relationship in recent years.

[2] Previous Ethiopian ambassadors to Norway include Berhanu Kebede; previous Norwegian ambassadors to Ethiopia include Peter Martin Anker, Paal Bog, Mette Ravn.