Mr. Prime Minister,

Mrs. Zemanova,

Distinguished guests,

This is my first opportunity to welcome a guest of the Norwegian Government here at Akershus Castle.

It gives me a very special pleasure that this guest is the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

A leading cultural nation at the heart of Europe.

Norway´s partner.

Norway´s ally.

A warm welcome to Prime Minister Zeman and Ms Zemanova to Oslo.

The fate and fortunes of the Czech nation has for so many centuries been a mirror of European history:

When Europe lived in peace, your lands and cities flourished. You excelled in human creativity.

When Europe lived in war and division, the Czech people suffered. You carried a European burden.

Today, at the start of the new millennium, Europeans are enjoying the fruits of co-operation and integration - drawing in the whole continent.

And again, the Czech people flourish.

Norway belongs to Europe. The future of Europe is our future.

We too have suffered European conflicts and wars.

And today - we too live with you in a European window of opportunity.

We will take our full share of responsibility for developing a Europe common to all Europeans. A Europe open to the world.

At the core of European unity is culture.

The cultural ties between our lands reach back through the centuries, and are still vibrant:

There are many links between medieval Norway and the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Edvard Munch had his international breakthrough in Prague. And Edvard Grieg also took inspiration from the great Czech composer Smetana.

Czech history was always European history:

In the Middle Ages, in the era of reformation and renaissance, and in the twentieth century.

Centuries of conflicts between the major European powers.

Our geographic position may be far to the north. But in our minds we have been very close.

I remember my parents told me about how the events of 1948 made a deep impression on their generation.

The lessons of crushed democracy in Prague led Norwegian leaders to drop neutrality and join the emerging NATO alliance.

The events 20 years later – in 1968 - left a deep impression on my generation. I remember the news, the pictures and images.

Many people once again saw hope coming out of Prague.

And then again how hope was crushed by tanks.

Many in my country took to the streets. It shaped our understanding of the tragic division of Europe.

Another 20 years went by and it was again from Prague that the tide of democracy and freedom broke through.

The Velvet revolution.

Ideas and values stronger than military strength. A theatre in Prague versus totalitarian rule.

The victory of democracy and human rights.

Mr. Prime Minister,

The events unfolding in Prague during this century have influenced the lives of several generations of Norwegians.

Norwegian men and women extended their solidarity during your times of trouble – and shared in your great joy when regaining freedom and control of your own destiny.

The statesman and father of the modern Czech nation Tomas Masaryk once said:

We have to engage in world politics, which means to cultivate lively and friendly contact with the other nations.

This means lively and friendly relations between governments. But it also means relations between peoples, between civil society and private enterprise.

Lively and friendly is a good description. The links between us are today closer and richer than ever before:

When the Czech Republic joined NATO last year, a fundamental new dimension was added to our partnership.

We are now allies.

We are bound together by the North Atlantic Treaty. We share the determination to preserve freedom.

Together we are building common security in Europe.

We entertain a close dialogue on the future role of NATO and the European Union in European security.

We work closely together as European partners in culture, trade and common security.

In a few years the Czech Republic will become a member of the European Union. By then we will both be part of the European single market, through the European Economic Area agreement.

Trade and economic integration generate welfare, and contributes to the fine web of extended security.

We will remain partners in all these areas, we should even considerably expand trade and economic cooperation.

There are good examples. Take energy. Today, environmentally friendly natural gas from the North Sea fires Czech industry and heats your homes.

And let us also move into new areas together.

Recently, we agreed to expand cooperation on development assistance. Norway will assist in developing the Czech Republic’s capacity for development assistance to the third world.

International solidarity and development assistance remains a high priority of our foreign policy.

Half of the world population lives in poverty. That is a disgrace. Together we must set new ambitions. Rich countries must contribute greater resources.

This is also about shared security – for the world and for Europe.

In Europe we must face new threats, such as drug trafficking. Our police co-operate closely and very successfully in combating drug trafficking.

This is a security threat in the new undivided Europe. We must raise against organised crime with innovative and effective international co-operation.

Mr. Prime Minister,

This year Prague and Bergen are both European Cities of Culture. They both merit that distinction.

Thousands of young Norwegians marvel at the glories of Prague.

Young Czechs scale our mountains and raft our rivers.

This is key – that people meet – see and experience. Perhaps our similar history as young independent states but old nations have contributed to this.

Tomas Masaryk and the writer Arne Garborg carried on an intense correspondence on ethical questions at the end of the 19 ^th> century.

Today our musicans perform together. A Grieg exhibition is currently running at the National Museum in Prague, and Norwegian musicians will be performing music by Grieg at this year's Prague Spring Festival.

In Bergen, they are preparing to hold an international conference on Franz Kafka.

And not to forget, Milan Kundera has a large following in Norway, with a large number of translations.

Kundera carries a European voice. That voice is heard, read and appreciated in Norway.

Mr Prime Minister,

Ten years ago, peaceful revolutions changed Central and Eastern Europe.

They put an end to the painful division of our continent.

They brought the dream of a Europe whole and free within grasp.

As Europeans, we are today faced with the tremendous challenge of realising this dream of an undivided Europe, common to all.

We want a Europe of democratic nations and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms.

A Europe where social welfare is shared, and where prosperity belongs to all.

A Europe open to the world.

History has given our generation a unique opportunity to realise this vision. It is an opportunity, I believe, no generation has had before us.

Let us use that opportunity – and let us do it together.

Distinguished guests,

I ask you to join me in a toast to Prime Minister Zeman and Mrs. Zemanova, to our Czech guests, to the Czech people, and to a strong and lasting relationship between our two nations.