Dinner speech to Netherland's Prime Minister Wim Kok

Mr. Prime Minister, dear Wim Kok,
distinguished members of the Dutch delegation,
excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

A few days ago I was discreetly approached by the Office of the Prime Minister and asked whether I wished to let the visit of the Dutch Prime Minister go ahead as planned – so soon after the change of government.

I needed very little time to make up my mind. This visit is most welcome. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is a close friend of our country. The Netherlands is our neighbour – our ally and our partner. The Netherlands is what we proudly call a like-minded country.

It is therefore a true pleasure for me, Mr. Prime Minister, on behalf of the Norwegian Government to extend to you and to your delegation a warm welcome to Norway.

The ties between our countries go back many centuries and have left their marks in many ways on Norwegian life and society. Trade relations with the Netherlands date back to the middle age. They were followed by strong impulses in art and culture, and by ideas affecting our political, legal and economic system.

We are both maritime nations and the sea has decisively influenced the shaping of our attitudes and mentalities. Dutch explorers have left their marks on Norwegian geography. The names of The Barents Sea, Jan Mayen and Spitzbergen are just a three of the names that remind us of the Dutch presence in our waters centuries ago.

Our joint efforts have even reached beyond our waters. More than 300 years ago a young man from Stavanger named Niels Olufsen decided to move to the Netherlands to learn the latest skills in map-making, ship construction and navigation. As his talent grew, he adopted the more impressive name of Cornelius Cruy, rose to the rank of admiral, and accepted an offer to serve the Russian Tsar Peter the Great in 1698. There he made a solid contribution to history as he became the very man who created the Russian fleet.

During this century we have in many ways shared a common destiny. During the first world war our nations remained neutral. The experience of the second world war changed our attitudes. We were both cofounders of NATO. Over the last 50 years, we have been close partners in the Alliance. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the solid Dutch commitment to the defence of the High North.

In relation to European integration our two countries have followed different roads. But our objectives are not so very different. We share a common European heritage. We base our political values on the Christian and humanitarian traditions of European culture and the welfare state. As Europeans we share the obligation to contribute to a more secure and stable world order based on democracy, justice and human rights.

As this turbulent century draws to an end, a networking Europe is taking shape. The role of the OSCE is gaining in importance, embracing all of Europe. More and more countries are being accepted as members of the Council of Europe as they abide by the principles of democracy and the rule of law. NATO is reaching out to its partners and has decided to welcome new members. And in Amsterdam in June, under your able leadership, the European Union decided to prepare for enlargement.

Norway will shoulder its responsibilities in the new Europe. In January we are ready to enter the troika of the OSCE - leading up to a full year in the chair in 1999. This will amount to the greatest challenge for Norwegian foreign policy in many decades.

Beyond our close bilateral relations, Norway and the Netherlands meet as partners within the framework of the European Economic Area. My Government will actively pursue cooperation with the European Union based on the EEA Agreement. This is a balanced agreement. We will do our part to develop an equally balanced cooperation - to the benefit of our citizens and their legitimate demand for employment, security and stringent standards in the field of health, safety and the environment.

We must stand together to meet the challenges facing Europe. But let us never forget that our own problems are modest compared with those facing more than a billion poor and destitute people on this planet.

Norway and the Netherlands maintain high levels of development cooperation. We know that it need not be a distant dream to secure all people access to clean water, basic health services and elementary education - the vital success criteria for sustainable development. Let us make our voices heard and combat the growing aid fatigue in the developed countries and let us speak out for basic human rights and the urgent task of securing the poor nations a new start.

Mr. Prime Minister, Norway and Holland are indeed like-minded countries. In both our countries, the language of sports is spoken fluently. Names like Kees Verkerk and Ard Schenk meant something to a generation of Norwegians. These brilliant speed-scaters, with their fluent command of the Norwegian language, were cultural bridges between our peoples. In today's world of instant media communication, soccer stars like Cruyff, Gullit and Bergkamp thrill a new generation of Norwegians, including, I must admit, this Prime Minister. The Norwegian team has not been able to reach quite your level. But your achievements have inspired us. Let me pledge here today the ambition of the Norwegian team to offer the Netherlands fair fight in next year's World Cup in France.

Mr. Prime Minister, I thank you for being our distinguished guest here tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like you to join me in a toast to the government and the people of the Netherlands, to Prime Minister Wim Kok and to the continued close and friendly relations between our two countries.