Dinner Speech with Business Representatives

Governor Alencar! -- Excellencies ! Distinguished representatives of Norwegian and Brazilian companies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to say that I am happy to be in Rio, one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

Norway and Brazil may not have much in common at first sight. After all, Brazil is 25 times bigger and the population 40 times larger than ours. Also, while Norway is next to the polar region, Brazil is next to the Equator. So when Norwegians ski in the Olympics, the Cariocas dance samba at their annual carnival.

Nevertheless - if you look closer, Norway and Brazil actually do have long-standing relations, and we do have things in common. In certain areas we have similar experiences and we do share some of the same challenges. Together, this common ground constitutes a good basis upon which we can build a deeper and broader relationship in the future.

Did you know that Norwegian emigrants and goldminers were stranded in Rio de Janeiro some 147 years ago ? On their way to California in pursuit of gold, their ship was deemed unseaworthy and they ended up in Rio de Janeiro instead. Luckily, they were allowed to establish a colony in Santa Catarina. And 74 out of the 106 Norwegians decided to stay. Later many of them returned to Norway, but seven people stayed behind for good.

So - even though we might not have been the most successful settlers, at least we have managed to make the name of our country into a brand name in and of itself. Today, Bacalhau is only known as Bacalhau da Noruega (bakaljao da nor-vue-ga). It all started in 1842, when a schooner named the "Northern Star" arrived in Rio de Janeiro loaded with dried and salted cod - clipfish. It comes from my province – Møre and Romsdal, although it is not centered in the right town which is Molde, incidentally my home town, but in Ålesund, which, of course is also a very nice place. Today, bacalhau is our main export article to Latin-America and Brazil. As a matter of fact, bacalhau constituted 61 percent of our exports to Brazil last year.

But except from the Bacalhau da Noruega, which is just as important today, this was a glimpse of the past. We should look towards the future, and the possibilities for even closer and more mutually beneficial relations.

I have already mentioned earlier today that the Norwegian Government last year launched a Strategic plan for Latin America last year. Through a combination of political dialogue, economic co-operation and cultural contacts, it aims at nothing less than building a strong and lasting relationship with Brazil and other countries in Latin America.

In the business area, I would like to refer to the Brazilian-Norwegian seminar on Deep Water Technology that I had the pleasure of opening this morning. It is an excellent example of an initative that could very well result in tremendous new opportunities for closer commercial cooperation between Norway and Brazil. But this is not the only area where we see a potential for increased collaboration. Shipping, telecommunications, applied information technology, automotive components and fish and fish products, are also areas with a significant potential. All these business sectors are also represented in our delegation. And these were the issues we discussed at the seminar this afternoon.

But the Strategic plan for Latin-America is not business alone, it is also about politics and culture. In terms of politics, there has been an increase in the contact between our two countries. I was here in 1990 as Norway's Foreign Minister. To – morrow I look forward to meeting with president Cardoso and the Brazilian leadership in Brazilia.

But there is more to life than business and politics. This event tonight is an excellent example of how it is possible to mix business and pleasure. Let me express our gratitude to Statoil for their generous contribution to this evening. An event like this provides not only an opportunity to relax, but also to build and nurture relationships at the personal level. After all, personal contact based on mutual respect and trust, is an essential element in the development of any long term relations.

Mutual understanding and respect can also be greatly enhanced if we know more about each others culture. Strengthening our cultural relations with Latin America is thus the third element of our Strategic Plan. Already, you may have had the opportunity to enjoy the dramatic paintings of Edvard Munch at the biannual art exhibitions in Sao Paulo, or you may have listened to Edvard Grieg in Rio de Janeiro. In the same way, Brazil is also present in Norway. When Alciones and her great Carioca samba orchestra came to Oslo, Norwegians learned to let loose, and those who experienced the performance will never be quite the same again. The same happened when we played against Brazil in the world cup, but that is another story.

Gilberto Gil, the great Brazilian musician, actually has a song, "Oslodum", which is dedicated to Oslo. So if ever we are homesick in Brazil, we can always find comfort in this song. Or if we ever miss Brazil once we are back in Oslo, we can always visit the local Brazilian restaurant, Pau Brazil.

In short, we may have more in common, and there may be more that bind us together, than what is apparent at first sight. I sincerely do believe that the potential for cooperation between Norway and Brazil is far from exhausted. Through our combined efforts, we will in the future be able to harvest the benefits of a potential turned into reality.

Wishing you all a pleasant and fruitful evening, I thank you for your attention.

Skål.