Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg

Speech at: Presentation of Norwegian seafood, Warszawa

Hotel Sobieski, Warszawa, 3 July 2000

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

Two years ago a somewhat unfamiliar book made it to the top of the world bestseller lists.

The book was called "Cod" – with the following telling subtitle: A biography of the fish that changed the world.

That book tells the modern history of the cod. At the same time it tells a very important part of the history of my country. If cod changed the world – it indeed transformed Norway – again and again throughout the centuries.

The Vikings survived their long adventures by eating salted cod.

The product brought by the first Norse traders to the Baltic Sea was dried cod and herring.

And today fish is high on any list of bilateral trade between Norway and Poland.

We are celebrating a proud tradition when we gather today to highlight the landing of Norwegian fish on the Polish market. The history of our trading relations – or indeed our bilateral relations in general – can largely follow the tail of cod, herring, salmon and the rest of the Northern family of fish.

This morning I signed a declaration with Prime Minister Buzek on the future deliveries of natural gas from Norway to Poland. In a few years Poland may rank as the prime importer of natural gas from the North Sea.

By then, natural gas will join the ranks of seafood and fish. Because today Poland ranks as the premier export market for Norwegian seafood in Central Europe.

It is not only a matter of sales. Our cooperation runs deeper. Norwegian fishing industry has become a major contributor to the fish-processing industry in Poland.

Today the rules and regulations of international trade are more advanced than at the times of the Vikings or when the trading blocks divided the Baltic markets during the Hanseatic times.

The free trade agreement between the EFTA countries and Poland secures a prosperous collaboration – to the benefit of both our countries.

This may change when Poland joins the European Union and becomes Norway’s partner in the European Economic Area.

As the EEA agreement now stands, important duties are put on Norwegian fish – extra costs that will have to be met by Polish consumers.

My ambition is that we work closely together to avoid new barriers to trade in fish.

What we are served here today differs from the products that the Norse traders brought to the Baltic marketplace centuries ago.

Consumers know what they want. In very few markets does quality matter more. And Norwegian fishing industry knows all about it.

We need to safeguard the environmental and fish-health aspects. We have to guarantee that Norwegian seafood is of excellent quality.

I hope that today’s reception will demonstrate that we have succeeded in that task.

We are amazed to see how modern chefs can vary their seafood dishes.

In both our countries we appreciate the variety of seafood. Norway has much to learn from Poland in the processing and preparing of herring. Norway has something to contribute to your preparing of the salmon.

And all of us have something to learn from to-day’s chef, Terje Ness.

Terje Ness is one of Norway’s high-profiled chefs. For four years he has been a member of the Norwegian Culinary team. He has won several culinary contests – the latest one was Bocuse d’Or [ båkýss dår] in 1999 - the unofficial world championship for chefs.

This year Mr. Ness has been selected "Chef of the Year" in Norway.

I express my thanks to the organisers of today’s reception.

Had the cod, the herring and the salmon had a voice – they could have told numerous stories of our bilateral relations.

Not all of them would have been pleasant – seen from the perspective of the fish.

As governments and as fishing industry we have a responsibility to safeguard the stocks, to combat over-fishing and secure the health of our fish farms.

We have a history of centuries to build on. Our ambition can be no less than preparing for new centuries of trade in fish.

To the benefit of European families and consumers.
To the benefit of our fishing industries.
And to the benefit of our bilateral relations.

Thank you for your attention.