President Mwai Kibaki,Your Excellencies,

Friends and colleagues,

Thank you, President Kibaki, for your kind words, and also for the warm welcome and hospitality

extended to myself and my delegation here in Kenya.

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be visiting your beautiful country, a country that many Norwegians know well.

It is a particular pleasure to be here just five days after the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded a very well deserved Peace Prize to Mrs Wangari Maathai.

Those who visit Kenya are met with the extraordinary warmth and friendliness of your people. They can enjoy your exciting and vibrant modern urban life. They can visit your spectacular wildlife parks, your

beaches, your great mountains and your proud and ancient Swahili cities. No wonder many Norwegians visit every year. Kenya is Africa embedded in one country.

The relations between our countries are excellent. Our partnership dates back many years. Most partnerships experience their ups and downs over the years. Ours is no exception. In 1990 the diplomatic relations were severed by the Moi-regime, and our development cooperation also came to an abrupt end.

But when you came to power, Mr President, we saw the possibilities of a new beginning for your country. And we are pleased to stand by you in your efforts

to rid this country of corruption, and to protect human rights and democratic principles. These policies are sound not only in themselves, but also because they promote economic development and prosperity for the Kenyan people. We will continue to monitor the progress that your government is making in these areas, which will guide our cooperation in the years to come.

Kenya also takes responsibility in the region. I am thinking here especially of your important and active role in the peace processes both with regard to Sudan and Somalia.

We look forward to continuing our close co-operation

on peace in the Sudan and Somalia, and to work with you on matters of peace and security in a broader context.

The African Union has decided to forge its capacity for conflict prevention and conflict management. Kenya plays an important part in these efforts.

Africa faces many challenges - conflict, famine and poverty. What makes me optimistic about Africa’s future is the fact that African leaders come together to address the challenges which they face. You come together with the vision of promoting peace and development to the benefit of the peoples of Africa.

Mr President,

It was the issues of human rights and democracy, as well as corruption, which caused the previous problems in our bilateral relations. And it is precisely the same issues, but this time with a positive touch, which have now has brought us together again.

And by coincidence - I was the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ms Johnson was my political advisor, at the time when President Moi decided to sever relations with Norway. I can therefore assure you that it is a special pleasure for both of us to be here today, and to be able to play a part in the rebuilding of our relations.

I would like to propose a toast to his Excellency, President Kibaki and to the happiness and prosperity of the people of Kenya.