OSLO,  (Reuters) – Norway’s ambassador to the United  Nations has accused Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of weak,  ineffective and at times counterproductive leadership during  recent crises, the daily Aftenposten reported yesterday.

Aftenposten published what it said was a letter from  Ambassador Mona Juul to Norway’s Foreign Ministry, where she  said Ban was late in handling challenges and that his abrasive  style irked even seasoned diplomats.

“At a time when the need for the United Nations and for  multilateral solutions to global crises is greater than ever,  Ban and the United Nations are conspicuous in their absence,”  Aftenposten quoted the letter as saying.

The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the letter,  referring reporters to Aftenposten quotes from Foreign Minister  Jonas Gahr Stoere, who told the daily that he noted the matter  and said South Korean Ban was “hardworking” and “attentive”.

The report comes just days before Ban visits Norway, an  advocate of active multilateral diplomacy which has worked with  the United Nations on a number of peace initiatives including  the now collapsed Oslo accords between Israel and the  Palestinians.

U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters in New York: “We  have seen the same reports that you have. We do not know the  veracity of the report to which you refer, and so I would  suggest that you follow up with the Norwegians for their  information on that.”

In the letter, Juul said Ban had failed to make the United  Nations a relevant voice during the financial crisis and said  there was “widespread worry” the world body would not contribute  much to environmental talks leading up to a summit in  Copenhagen.