Children from Beslan visit Norway

Eighty-one children from Beslan, accompanied by 20 adults, are arriving at Torp Airport today, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit has been organised by the Norwegian Red Cross and is being financed by the Foreign Ministry.

The children will be staying at the Red Cross centre Eidene near Tønsberg. A varied programme has been arranged, including day trips in the vicinity and by boat, games and sports as well as the opportunity to meet Norwegian school children. On Thursday 9 June the children will visit Oslo, where they will be taken to see the City Hall and to visit the Football Association of Norway/Ullevaal Football Stadium.

The purpose of the visit is to give the children who suffered from the terrorist operation in Beslan last September an opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves in Norway, and to meet Norwegian children of the same age.

Norway was one of the first countries to fly medical equipment in to Beslan during the hostage-taking tragedy. The Foreign Ministry has also allocated USD 1 million for the construction of a new boarding school in Beslan.