Norway Daily No. 205/99

The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 205/99

DATE: 25 October 1999

PAKISTANI LEADERS FACE UP TO FORCED MARRIAGES

(Aftenposten-Sunday)

Forty leaders of the Pakistani community in Oslo, including religious leaders and heads of families, gathered on Saturday to discuss a taboo-laden issue: forced marriages. This is the first time this extremely sensitive subject has been dealt with with this degree of openness. The difficulties were acknowledged regarding arranged and forced marriages and adjusting to a new life in Norway and to the wishes of new generations.

PRESIDENTIAL VISIT WORTH NOK 50 MILLION FOR OSLO

(Dagsavisen-Sunday)

If Oslo were to buy advertizing time corresponding to the international media exposure resulting from US President Bill Clinton's visit to Oslo, it would have to pay around NOK 50 million, according to Helge Frisch of the Carat media channel. This estimate is based on 500 million people viewing television spots or reading three articles on the average about his visit to Oslo. The cost of this sort of publicity on television would amount to around NOK 150 million, though the effect is estimated at one-third the effect of a commercial. The value of the exposure is reduced correspondingly, and the total comes out to NOK 50 million. Around 800 reporters will follow Mr. Clinton's every move in Oslo.

NORWEGIAN BUSINESS BEING SOLD PIECEMEAL

(Dagbladet-Sunday)

Norwegian enterprise is leaving the country at an alarming rate. In the past few years, several tens of billions of kroner in corporate value have left the country after changes in corporate ownership or simple relocations. And matters are bound to become worse: while the Government Petroleum Fund is investing all around the world, foreign investors are trawling Norway for juicy industrial and financial acquisitions. The list of Norwegian corporations now controlled or acquired by foreign interests is long and will continue to grow.

SPOTLIGHT ON SOCIALIST LEFT LEADERS

(Dagbladet-Sunday)

The Socialist Left Party is gearing up for a new round of scrutiny. A number of circles within the party are now forming networks which will be following the party leaders closely. "I find it depressing that we will once again be spending so much time and effort on internal affairs," says deputy party chairman Øystein Djupedal.

NEW BILL FOR COMPENSATION TO VICTIMS

(Aftenposten)

The Ministry of Justice will soon be sending a bill dealing with compensation to victims of violent crime out for legislative consultations. The Ministry proposes to raise the ceiling for such compensation from NOK 200,000 to around NOK 800,000. "The current maximum is inadequate, particularly for people who have sustained injuries leading to serious or lasting disability," says Henning Bratt, head of the Justice Ministry's Department of Civil Law. The new legislation sets a stricter standard of proof for qualifying for this compensation, however. Under current law, the applicant must establish a reasonable likelihood that he or she was subject to a criminal act. The new legislation requires a preponderance of likelihood to be established. "If the perpetrator is found innocent in a court of law, it will be much more difficult for victims to successfully claim compensation," says Margit Lømo, head of the national association for victims of violent crime.

LILLETUN TO EASE TEXTBOOK APPROVAL PROCEDURE

(Aftenposten)

Minister of Education Jon Lilletun (Chr.Dem.) proposes to terminate the controversial censure procedures which school textbooks must pass. The procedure requires the approval of the Norwegian Language Council, a gender equality adviser and an educational adviser. Religion textbooks must additionally meet the approval of up to 12 advisers from most of the religions and denominations in Norway. Mr. Lilletun would like to dispense with this, too.

SERBS RECEIVE NO SUPPORT FROM NORWAY

(Aftenposten)

Bosnians and Kosovars returning to their homes in the Balkans receive a NOK 15,000 repatriation grant for each member of the family. The asylum applications of 2,000 ethnic Serbs from Croatia have now been turned down for the last time, and half of them have already gone home, but they are sent away empty-handed. Poverty and unemployment awaits Bosnians, Serbs and Kosovars alike.

WORTH NOTING

• Labour and the Government are drawing steadily closer to a budget deal. "The coalition parties say our demands are moderate, so it is my expectation that they will be accepted," says party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland, who insists on the inclusion of labour market measures for another 4,000 jobless and a number of tax measures in any compromise budget. (Aftenposten-Saturday)
• The Ministry of Finance told Tor Birkeland, interim president of the Oslo Stock Exchange, in straightforward terms yesterday that the government has handled the offer for the Kreditkassen properly and correctly. The Conservatives and the Progress Party back Mr. Birkeland's criticism of the government's stock exchange activity, however. (Dagens Næringsliv-Saturday)
• Three out of the four opening speakers at the Christian Democratic Party's women's conference in Stjørdal today call on the party to give up its fight against the abortion law. The party's parliamentary group will soon be discussing how to handle the abortion issue. (Vårt Land-Saturday)
• Phillips Petroleum recommends the removal of all 14 disused platforms from the Ekofisk field. The cost for doing so has been calculated at NOK 8 billion at 1998 monetary values. The state will have to foot two-thirds of the bill. (Dagens Næringsliv-Saturday)
• While shipyards start packing away their oil platform drawings, other parts of the petroleum industry are working on new plans. 235 platforms will require removal from the Norwegian continental shelf by 2015, which will give a struggling industry something to do. (Dagsavisen)
• Finance analysts abroad claim that foreign investors are frightened off by the political storm surrounding the merger of Telia with Telenor and the MeritaNordbanken's Kreditkassen takeover attempt. The result is a drop in the market values of Norwegian corporations. (Aftenposten)

TODAY'S COMMENT

Norway will soon experience its first visit from a sitting US president. Bill Clinton will be arriving in another week, and his security experts are already busy getting Oslo ready for the event. It is a heady experience for a small country to hold the attention of the most powerful man in the world, even though peace in the Middle East is the immediate occasion. That Norway is his sole destination indicates that this is primarily a business trip which will focus on getting the peace process in motion again. Viewed in this light, Mr. Clinton's visit may be taken as an acknowledgment of the part Norway has played in the Middle East and a clear signal that our continued involvement is desired. (Nationen)