Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of Foreign Minister Jan Petersen and myself it is a pleasure to welcome ambassadors to Norway not resident in Oslo. And I am of course also delighted to see those of you who are resident in Oslo.

Norway’s involvement as a facilitator in the peace process in Sri Lanka made it necessary for Foreign Minister Petersen to be present in that country this week.

He has been working to breathe new life into the stalled negotiations between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. No major breakthrough has been achieved, but progress has been made. We will continue our facilitation efforts. Hopefully the LTTE will soon return to the negotiating table.

The Foreign Minister will be back late tonight and is looking forward to seeing all of you at tomorrow’s Constitution Day reception at the government guesthouse in Parkveien.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Iraq remains at the top of the international agenda. The Norwegian government was not in a position to lend its support to the war, but we are pleased that it ended so quickly and that the number of casualties, both military and civilian, was so limited. The military campaign is over. Now the task at hand is to feed, care for and protect the long-suffering population of Iraq.

After years of despotism and repression, the Iraqis deserve a better future.

We in Norway are committed to doing our share. To that end we have set aside some 60 million USD, about half of which has already been disbursed.

The Iraq crisis led to deep divisions in the international community. As a result the United Nations and the Security Council, as well as other international organizations have been set back.

The crisis was a defeat for the United Nations - and for the cause of multilateralism. Now is the time to put the disagreements behind us. In light of the Iraq debacle, the permanent members of the Security Council must act decisively to ensure that the Council is able once more to make necessary and timely decisions on vital issues.

In accordance with the UN Charter, the Security Council has a special responsibility in matters involving threats against international peace and security. The authority and credibility of the Council can only be upheld if there is a genuine spirit of compromise among its members. The permanent members of the Council of course bear a special responsibility in this regard.

As an elected member of the Security Council until the end of last year, we participated in the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1441 on 8 November. To our minds, 1441 was an example of the Security Council functioning as it should. After leaving the Council, we have consistently argued in favour of what has come to be known as the UN track.

Consequently, we deeply regret that the Security Council was not able to agree on a common position on the Iraq issue when it became evident that Iraq was not intending to comply in full with Resolution 1441.

The upcoming session of the UN General Assembly will be an important opportunity to regain a positive momentum. We in Norway look forward to working with your respective governments to that end.

Early adoption of a broad resolution on post-war Iraq, including removal of sanctions, would be a crucial first step towards reestablishing the unity, authority and credibility of the Security Council. And of course, in the Norwegian opinion the UN should play a central role in humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

The Iraq crisis caused tension not only at the United Nations. It also led to divisions within the North Atlantic Alliance. The divisions were between the two sides of the Atlantic, but also among European allies.

Now we are happy to note a common resolve among allies to put disunity behind us, to reestablish cohesion and look to the future.

On 16 April the Alliance made a watershed decision to take responsibility for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. As pointed out by the Secretary General, Lord Robertson, this decision is as important as the first NATO involvement in the Balkans. And it happened at a time when the conventional wisdom was that differences over Iraq would make consensus on other issues impossible.

Now NATO is looking beyond Afghanistan to consider whether there might be a role for the Alliance in post-conflict Iraq. There is no decision yet, but it is significant that no NATO country is ruling out a role for the Alliance in the right circumstances.

We expect that Lord Robertson on Monday next will submit a proposal to the North Atlantic Council that the NATO Military Authorities consider and report to the Council on options for possible Allied contributions to stabilization in Iraq, along the lines of NATO’s contribution to ISAF III in Afghanistan.

Iraq needs a stable security environment and improvements in the infrastructure for humanitarian aid and reconstruction. As others Norway too has been looking into ways of making a contribution to that end.

In his meeting with Prime Minister Blair in London yesterday, Prime Minister Bondevik indicated that Norway stands ready to contribute to the stabilization force in Iraq, provided certain conditions are met.

These conditions are the following: First, that the Norwegian contribution has to be in full consistency with international law. And second, it will have to be clear that Norway, by making its contribution, does not become an Occupying Power in Iraq in the legal sense.

Once these conditions have been fulfilled to our satisfaction, we intend to make our contribution in the UK area of responsibility.

This being said, let me underline that we continue to favour a key role for the United Nations not only with regard to humanitarian efforts and reconstruction, but also with regard to providing a mandate for a stabilization force.

We are gratified, therefore, that developments in New York are moving in the direction of Security Council recognition of the need for contributions by States to a stabilization force. This will obviously clarify the legal basis for participation in a Stabilization Force.

At the same time, we recognize the urgency of the situation, that the provision of a possible UN mandate will take some time, and that in the meantime we must take care of the pressing needs of the civilian population for a stable and secure environment.

Hence, we have identified several specific possible contributions to a stabilization force. These would consist primarily of an engineering company, including personnel for mine and explosives clearing.

Such task-specific contributions are clearly limited to humanitarian objectives. They do not involve activities that lead to Norway becoming an occupying power in a legal sense, or relieve the occupying powers of any of their responsibilities under internaitonal law.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we build a new Iraq, we must also build bridges in the multilateral institutions on which international cooperation depends

Norway intends to play its part in ensuring that co-operation can be normalized as soon as possible in the bodies in which we participate, such as the UN and NATO. And needless to say we wish to continue and further develop our close co-operation with the EU on issues of mutual interest and importance.

EU and NATO enlargement is changing the political map of Europe. A new foundation is being laid for ensuring stability and building prosperity in our part of the world, as well as for a constructive and responsible Euro-Atlantic role on the world scene.

We for our part have already ratified the NATO enlargement, as the second among NATO’s member states. Although not a member of the EU, we are strong supporters of EU enlargement as well, in words and in deeds.

As part of the agreement on the parallel enlargement of the European Economic Area, Norway has committed to make substantial contributions to the bridging of economic and social gaps in the enlarged European Union.

Following the Copenhagen EU Summit in December, EU and NATO have reached agreement on the establishment of a strategic partnership on crisis management and peace operations.

This, in our view, will facilitate close contact between the two organizations and NATO support to crisis management operations under EU auspices. The first concrete expression of that strategic partnership is the EU’s recent take-over from NATO of the responsibility for the military operation in Macedonia.

Norway welcomes this development, which testifies to the strong commitment on the part of the EU to take responsibility for security and stability on the European continent. Norway is a contributor to the Macedonia operation as well as to the EU-led police operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

And we welcome the evolution of a European Security and Defense Policy. It is crucial from our point of view, however, that this process proceeds in close contact and harmony with NATO.

From our perspective it is important to avoid any semblance of competition between the two organizations. And duplication of structures and capabilities must be avoided. The recent summit meeting of four European states in Brussels has triggered some questions in this regard.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The strengthened cooperation between Russia and its Western partners and between Russia and NATO is a crucial development. A long-term strategic relationship has been established and a broad agenda adopted.

Only through close and trusting cooperation with Russia can we get to grips with new threats and challenges. Together we are already cooperating closely on preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and countering international terrorism.

As a neighboring country, Norway attaches fundamental importance to the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council. We worked hard to ensure its establishment and will be working equally hard to ensure its continuing relevance and viability. An auspicious beginning has been made, as reflected in the recent Moscow meeting of the Council.

Norway’s bilateral relations with Russia are strong and getting stronger. We have established close cooperation across a range of areas. Grass-roots contacts across a border that used to be, in the old days, hermetically sealed, have skyrocketed.

On the Norwegian side we attach particular importance to our cooperation in the area of nuclear safety. Since launching our Action Plan for Nuclear Safety in the North we have implemented a broad range of projects and spent approximately 100 million USD. In the current budget year we are spending some 17 million USD.

These are not trifling amounts. Yet in light of the magnitude of the problem, they are drops in the bucket. Dealing with the problem of nuclear safety in Northwestern Russia will require broad international efforts for many years, in support of the comprehensive efforts of the Russian Federation itself.

Unsafe storage of nuclear waste and radioactive materials represents a major threat to the environment. In addition, nuclear safety has become an integral and essential part of our common fight against proliferation of weapons and materials of mass destruction, and hence of our common fight against terrorism.

If they were to fall into the hands of terrorists, these substances and materials could fairly easily be used to manufacture crude but deadly weapons, such as the so-called “dirty” bomb.

Traditionally, the United States has played a leading role in the area of nuclear safety. We appreciate the close cooperation we have established with the Administration as well as with Senator Lugar and former Senator Nunn in this area.

And we welcome the strengthened EU engagement in nuclear safety in Northwestern Russia, as a supplement to the important contributions of individual EU members such as the UK, France, Sweden, Finland and others.

The Union is uniquely qualified to play a major role. And through the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Fund the Union can wield an important financial instrument. We for our part have contributed 10 million Euro to the Trust Fund.

We are also extremely encouraged by the G 8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. In the context of the Global Partnership, countries such as Canada and Japan are showing leadership. This 20 billion USD commitment will make a vast difference in the funding of our efforts towards nuclear safety.

We share the objectives of the Global Partnership and are prepared to contribute to their achievement, in areas such as the dismantlement of decommisioned nuclear submarines, clean-up of storage sites, and the replacement of nuclear-driven lighthouse batteries with solar technology.

Nuclear projects require concerted international action; they are complicated and costly. And they require a firm legal basis. Next week, in Stockholm, Russia and Western partners will sign the Multilateral Nuclear Environment Programme – also known as the MNEPR agreement.

This is a milestone achievement. It means that the nuclear window of the EU Northern Dimension Environmental Fund as well as the Global Partnership Funds can start flowing and projects can be implemented.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The attack on innocent civilians in Riyadh on Tuesday is a new reminder of the menace of terrorism. Middle East peace has been a high priority in Norwegian foreign policy for many years. After more than two and a half years of bloodshed, three recent factors have improved the prospects for peace:

First, Saddam Hussein’s regime has been removed, and with it one of the biggest regional threats to Israel’s security. This should be an incentive for Israel to re-engage in a political process with the Palestinians.

Second, the Quartet’s road map for peace was launched on 30 April. President Bush, whom PM Bondevik will meet later today, has made it clear that the US wants to see the road map implemented. The goal, which Norway fully supports, is the establishment by 2005 of a state of Palestine, side by side with Israel, in peace and security.

Third, the appointment of Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas and his new government has given the Palestinian reform process, in which Norway is actively involved, a new and promising impetus.

Norway is keen to support the implementation of the road map, including through our chairmanship of the international donor group known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. The political deadlock and armed conflict has caused enormous damage to Palestinian economy and society.

In short, the road map gives the Parties, and the international community, a window of opportunity to restart a political process.

But, international efforts alone are not enough to achieve this. The will of the parties to implement the road map and to take concrete steps in the right direction will make the difference.

PM Abbas’ government must do its utmost to bring an end to Palestinian terrorism. But to succeed Mr. Abbas needs support – not least from Israel - in improving the Palestinians’ daily lives, easing closures and exercising maximum military restraint. And settlements remain a fundamental obstacle to progress.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Norway is playing an active role in peace and reconciliation efforts and in promoting human rights and democracy in parts of the world as far apart as Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Africa and Guatemala.

In Sri Lanka Norway has supported the present peace process since 1998 as an impartial, third party facilitator. The two parties, the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers requested us to play such a role.

As facilitator, Norway’s role is to assist the parties in their efforts to reach a political solution, not to impose a solution on them. The peace process has made substantial progress since the parties entered into a Cease-fire Agreement in February of last year. The parties have agreed on the basic principles of a political solution and are working systematically in giving these a practical form. However, the process of reaching and implementing a final settlement is complicated and will take time.

We are sometimes asked why Norway is so involved in attempts to facilitate reconciliation around the world. The answer is complex, but some key elements can be identified.

Norway has long traditions of being actively involved in humanitarian issues and supporting international structures set up to provide collective security.

Our strong commitment to the UN, our involvement in support of peace and reconciliation processes, our support for human rights and humanitarian action and our development co-operation should be seen in this light.

In many ways our involvement in attempts to facilitate reconciliation around the world is a continuation of our long-standing commitment to peace through humanitarian action and development co-operation, as well as through the UN, NATO and OSCE and other international organizations.

More broadly, we are committed to a world order based on international co-operation, international law and freedom from human suffering, unrest and war. Helping to promote these ideals is ultimately in the interest of any small country – and in the wider interest of the security of all states and individuals.

And now I would be happy to take your comments or questions.