Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

People make up the basis of relations between countries. People make the contacts. And people make partnerships. I am therefore pleased to be taking part in this reception, with such a broad representation from both Norway and Poland.

We have enjoyed a wonderful performance by two outstanding young artists. I would like to thank Ms Inderhaug and Ms Ugelvik on behalf of all of us for their skilful presentation of traditional and contemporary Norwegian music.

They say that music is the only language that doesn´t require translation. I have always felt that music is one of the best ways of fostering better understanding between people. I also firmly believe that culture must be an important part of the relations between countries.

Our artists have benefited from mutual inspiration from our two countries. The composer Witold Lutoslawski spent many summers in Norway. And the Norwegian composer Arne Nordheim has been in close contact with the Polish music community. One of our most cherished musicians, Jan Garbarek, is of polish decent. Some of our young Norwegian novelists have also been translated into polish.

Food is an aspect of culture that appeals to most of us. And seafood is a very important part of Norwegian culture. For thousands of years the waters off the coast and in the fjords of Norway have generously provided us with food as delicious as it is nourishing. These cold, clean, salty waters are home to a rich marine life that is able to grow and flourish in perfect conditions.

The end result is seafood that we believe has no equal in taste or quality. Seafood from Norway is served today in more than 140 countries. It is also healthy to eat, since Norway has stringent requirements designed to ensure seafood safety.

With these words, I would like to invite you to taste some samples of the best that Norwegian cuisine has to offer.

Smacznego (“smætchnegå”) - Enjoy your meal!