Celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

Dear Ambassador,
Excellencies,
Friends,                             

Thank you for inviting me – and all of us – to this celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. For us, this is a welcome opportunity to express our admiration for Her Majesty, her subjects and for the United Kingdom.

Of course, 60 years on the throne is itself a remarkable achievement. My parents just celebrated 60 years of marriage, and I have been thinking about what it would be like to be on the throne for the same length of time. It is a fantastic thing, and I think it reflects the tenacity of your nation, Ambassador.

The manner in which the Queen has discharged her duties is even more impressive. I had the fortune to accompany King Harald on a state visit to London just two weeks after I took up this post. I sat next to the Queen at one of the first events. I was given a rather substantive brief beforehand. I was told she would spend half the time talking to King Harald, and the rest of the time to me. In that order. I will never forget that hour of discussion. This was a great start for my work with this bilateral relationship, which is so strong and made up of so many different ties.

Let me just mention a few key aspects of our bilateral relationship that will never change. The North Sea has always linked us together geographically, culturally, politically, economically, and strategically, in terms of where we belong and where we stand – together – in a trans-Atlantic, trans-North Sea alliance.

The UK is Norway’s main trading partner, and energy is of course crucial to both our countries. A substantial share of Norway’s oil and gas exports makes its way to the UK – meeting some 30 % of the UK’s primary energy needs. We can renew and extend that vision further. I think this will benefit both our countries. Our offshore companies are working together in the North Sea and on other continents, and they work together well.

Norwegian companies including Statkraft and Statoil have joined forces to take part in the surge in renewable energy projects in the United Kingdom. Their Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm, which will be opened by Crown Prince Haakon in September, will supply clean energy to 220 000 British homes. New offshore renewable projects, such as the Dogger Bank wind farm, are in the pipeline.

This makes the United Kingdom a key partner in relation to Norwegian renewable capacity and from a climate perspective. Whether that capacity is developed in Norway or the UK is not the key thing. The fact is that it is being developed, and we are joining forces to realise our potential along the east coast of the United Kingdom, and we wholeheartedly support that.

We share the same priorities as regard to climate policy and technology development, and we have been able to incorporate these priorities into agreements between ministries and companies.

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global has invested more than GBP 30 billion in the UK; it is a long-term investor.

Our cooperation is continuing to expand into new areas. Our prime ministers indentified eight focus areas for further cooperation last year. In a couple of days, we will be pleased to receive Prime Minister David Cameron in Norway, to take stock of this collaboration. Energy will be a key item on that agenda, but so will a broad range of other topics.

As Foreign Minister, I am constantly reminded, Ambassador, as you know, why your country is one of Norway’s oldest and closest friends and allies. We share many of the same ideas and values. There may be shifting governments on both sides of the North Sea, but there are some mainstays in our perspective and outlook. We stand side by side in international forums, we share a deep commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights. And we also join forces in the world’s most successful and long-lasting military alliance.

The strong cultural bonds between our two nations are heartfelt by many Norwegians. I think, for many of us, London is kind of a second home town, or at least a favourite destination for a city break. At any one time, there are more than 10 000 Norwegians in London: tourists, students, artists, business people....and the odd football player.

When I was growing up, I learned that it was the ties forged between our royal families during the Second World War that defined our relationship. I think that is still true. But there are some new dimensions, and I would like to tell you about one experience I had in my family.

When my family moved to Geneva, where I was working with the World Health Organisation, my oldest son was nine years old.

This was 1998 and he was starting at the international school. His English was weak and he was trying to find his way. That was the summer of the world cup in France. He was wearing the shirt of the Norwegian team – which for once had qualified for the world cup – and was sitting next to Tom from Manchester. I was sitting at the back of the classroom and could see that there was not much dialogue between them. Then I witnessed the following scene: Tom turned to Magnus, looked at him, and then he told the others in the class that, “Magnus is from Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s country. He’s OK!” And then I realised just what these footballers actually meant to a new generation of Norwegian and British kids.

Continuing on the theme of sports, you will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic summer games later this summer, and we will follow these games with great interest. For we know that when the British put on big sports events, they are well organised, spectacular, and something to really look forward to. The spectacle on the Thames yesterday was a reminder of something we already know: that you have some of the world’s finest oarsmen and women.

But I would like to issue this warning: I am confident that we will give your Olympic rowing team fierce competition. Because this is an area of keen interest for us too.

I look forward to many more years of excellent relations between Norway and the United Kingdom, and hope that the Queen will continue to reign for a long time and to inspire our bilateral relationship.

My warmest congratulations on the Diamond Jubilee.

Thank you.

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