Press Release

23 October 1997

Ragnhild Queseth Haarstad Minister of Nordic Cooperation

In a session of the Conuncil of State on Thursday afternoon, Ms. Ragnhild Queseth Haarstad - the Minister of Local Government and Labour, was appointed Norway's representative in the Nordic Council of Ministers, responsible for the Norwegian coordination of matters concerning Nordic cooperation.

The distribution of ministries and responsibilities in the Government thus is as below (abbreviations: Chr. - the Cristian Democratic Party, Cent. - the Centre Party, Lib. - the Liberal Party):

Prime Minister:
Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik (Chr.)

Ministry of Culture,
and deputy for the Prime Minister :
Ms. Anne Enger Lahnstein (Cent.)

Ministry of Children and Family Affairs:
Ms. Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (Chr.)

Ministry of Trade and Industry,
and responsible for coordination of information technology policy:
Mr. Lars Sponheim (Lib.)

Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Mr. Knut Vollebæk (Chr.)

Ministry of Fisheries:
Mr. Peter Angelsen (Cent.)

Ministry of Finance,
and responsible for national and long term planning:
Mr. Gudmund Restad (Cent.)

Ministry of Local Government and Labour,
except labour affairs:
Ms. Ragnhild Queseth Haarstad (Cent.)

Ministry of Agriculture:
Mr. Kåre Gjønnes (Chr.)

Ministry of Justice and the Police:
Ms. Aud Inger Aure (Chr.)

Ministry of Planning and Coordination,
and responsible for labour affairs,
- from 1 January 1998 chief of a planned ministry of labour and government administration:
Ms. Eldbjørg Løwer (Lib.)

Ministry of Transport and Communications:
Mr. Odd Einar Dørum (Lib.)

Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs:
Mr. Jon Lilletun (Chr.)

Ministry of Defence:
Mr. Dag Jostein Fjærvoll (Chr.)

Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,
responsible for social affairs and department of budget and administration:
Ms. Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (Cent.)

Ministry of Health and Social Affairs,
responsible for health affairs:
Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten (Chr.)

Ministry of Oil and Energy:
Ms. Marit Arnstad (Cent.)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
responsible for development cooperation, Foreign Minister's deputy:
Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson (Chr.)

Ministry of the Environment:
Ms. Guro Fjellanger (Lib.)

Minister of Nordic Cooperation:
Ms. Ragnhild Queseth Haarstad (Cent.)

This page was last updated October 24 1997 by the editors