Norway Daily No. 204/99

The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 204/99

DATE: 22 October 1999

GRØNDAHL: GOVERNMENTS MUST HAVE MAJORITY BACKING

(Aftenposten)

Legislators get too involved in details which belong to the executive branch, in the view of Storting President Kirsti Kolle Grøndahl. "We are putting our own authority on the line and run the risk of eroding our own influence over the broad, fundamental issues," she says. She believes the answer is to ensure that future governments are backed by a Storting majority, using such means as votes of confidence. Ms. Grøndahl feels the Storting should now examine the relationship between Government and Storting.

HISTORIC SECURITY CHALLENGE

(Aftenposten)

Hundreds of security personnel will guard President Clinton, Prime Minister Barak, President Arafat and the other guests in one of the most exhaustive security arrangements ever to be orchestrated in Oslo. "By Norwegian standards, a large number of police will be in Oslo for this event," says Roy Henry Nilsen of the Oslo Police District.

1000 SERBS TO BE SENT HOME

(Verdens Gang)

The Norwegian authorities have decided to repatriate the approximately 1,000 ethnic Serbs from East Slavonia in Croatia now housed in Norwegian refugee centres."They have nothing to fear," is the report from the Ministry of Justice. A number of them have had their applications examined as many as eight times.

HAGEN OFFERS JAGLAND BANK COMPROMISE

(Dagens Næringsliv)

Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen offers Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland a compromise in the matter of bank constellations. If Mr. Jagland accepts the sale of Kreditkassen to MeritaNordbanken, Mr. Hagen will agree to support the reinvestment of the proceeds of the sale in acquiring a stake in MeritaNordbanken.

LABOUR CALLS FOR FURTHER STATE BANK INVESTMENTS

(Dagsavisen)

Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland feels the state should use its capital to strengthen Norwegian banks in international competition. Mr. Jagland is adamant about maintaining the level of state bank ownership. The Christian Democrats and the Government as such have no inclination to sell state Kreditkassen holdings, and the Swedish-Finnish MeritaNordbanken's bid for Kreditkassen is therefore likely to be turned down. Labour's views thus harmonize to some degree with those of the political centre.

STATE INVESTMENTS HAMPER STOCK EXCHANGE

(Dagens Næringsliv)

The Government's unpredictable performance as a major strategic investor makes things difficult for the stock exchange, in the view of Tor Birkeland, interim president of the Oslo Stock Exchange. The Christian Democrats' refusal to countenance any sale of state bank holdings to MeritaNordbanken left Kreditkassen shareholders bleeding yesterday as the Kreditkassen's value plunged NOK 1 billion.

BANK GOVERNOR: FOREIGN BANKS BENEFICIAL

(Aftenposten)

Central bank governor Svein Gjedrem feels foreign banks in Norway would be a good thing. This does not mean he thinks the MeritaNordbanken should be allowed to buy Kreditkassen, however, though he does not reject the idea either. Mr. Gjedrem emphasized yesterday that he was speaking only in general terms.

WORTH NOTING

• Central Norwegian players in the Middle East peace process would like to reduce the official programme to a minimum in order to leave as much time as possible for substantive talks between Mr. Clinton, Mr. Arafat and Mr. Barak.. (Dagbladet)
• US President Bill Clinton's visit may illustrate the fact that a small country like Norway and a superpower like the USA can do things together, says Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik. (Dagsavisen)
• Prosecution and police action against innocent citizens costs the Norwegian state millions of kroner every year. The state had to pay NOK 18 million in damages and compensation for material and immaterial losses to innocent persons in 1998. (Verdens Gang)
• The Government is considering an absolute lower age limit of 18 years for admission to the armed forces. Under current law, the armed forces are allowed to recruit 16 and 17-year-olds in wartime. (Dagsavisen)
• Around 50 Saga employees have reported their interest in taking part in Kjell Inge Røkke's oil enterprise. It is still highly doubtful whether Mr. Røkke's Aker Maritime will really become a new Norwegian oil company. (Dagbladet)
• The Philippine Coast Guard may come to the rescue of Norway's struggling west coast shipyards. Ulstein will be signing a NOK 100 million contract today for six patrol boats, and more may be coming. The Philippine Coast Guard will require 60 to 100 new vessels in the next few years. (Nationen)
• If all Norwegians abstained from alcohol for the rest of the year, Norway would be able to achieve the World Health Organization's target of a 20 per cent reduction in alcohol consumption by the year 2000. So far this year, the state wine and spirits monopoly has sold 30 million litres more than last year. (Vårt Land)

TODAY'S COMMENT

Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has every reason to be proud of US President Bill Clinton's acceptance of his invitation to Norway. A visit by a US president is not an everyday occurrence in any country. As a matter of fact, Norway has never received a sitting US president before, despite the unusually close ties which have long existed between our two countries. We do not believe Mr. Bondevik harbours any illusions that the world's most powerful politician is coming to Oslo primarily for Norway's sake. Not at all; he will be here for the Middle East summit. But the summit is the result of a Norwegian initiative which brings Norway back into the arena of an unusually complex peace process in one of the world's most volatile regions. Timing is important in many areas, including politics, and President Clinton's approaching visit is a prestigious feather in Mr. Bondevik's cap. Mr. Clinton, too, hopes to gain a feather or two from the Oslo summit. And he will need it if he is to achieve his ambition of establishing lasting peace in the Middle East before his presidency draws to a close a year from now. (Verdens Gang)