Opening of the Saudi Arabian embassy

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Your Excellency, Minister of State for foreign affairs Dr Nizar Bin Obaid Madani,
Your Excellency, Ambassador Khalid Al-Nafisee,
Excellencies and distinguished guests,
Dear friends,

• Ambassador, thank you for giving me this opportunity to officially welcome you and your staff to Norway.
• I have no doubt that your permanent presence here in Oslo will be a significant contribution to the deepening of our bilateral ties. I am grateful that the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given us this opportunity to strengthen our friendly relations.
• I am glad we had the opportunity to meet yesterday, in my office, to discuss a number of areas of mutual interest.
• There have been diplomatic ties between our countries since 1961. Fifteen years later, in 1976, we opened the Norwegian Embassy in Saudi Arabia (in Jeddah, and in 1985 it moved to Riyadh). Throughout these years, maintaining good relations between our countries has been a priority, in order to continue our constructive dialogue in several fields.
• One such area is of course the oil and energy sector: Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role in the global oil market. As energy producing countries and world-leading energy exporters, our two countries share expertise and experience in the petroleum sector, and increasingly also in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
• We also share a fundamental belief in the need for greater global stability. We share the view that, in order to bring about stability, international efforts and compromises are necessary. Saudi Arabia is by far the most important swing producer in OPEC, and your country plays a stabilising role that will help to revitalise the global economy. This role is of the utmost importance to all oil producers, including Norway.
• We are also engaged in constructive dialogue with regard to developments in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, as the biggest economy in the Arab world, the only Arab member of the G20, and a key member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is a key player in the Middle East. Your voice is heard in the region. And as you know, the region has been, and continues to be, a top foreign policy priority for Norway.
• Saudi Arabia’s presence in Norway will enable us to continue our cooperation and discussions relating to our mutual core interests and policy priorities…
• … but it will also enable us to discuss areas in which the history, culture, perspectives and views of our two countries differ. I am looking forward to engaging in fruitful dialogue in a wide range of areas, including on questions relating to human rights, democracy and gender equality.

Excellencies and guests,

• I believe today marks the start of a new and dynamic phase in our bilateral relations. A chance to discover new opportunities, for instance relating to trade (where I see a great potential), regional foreign policy priorities or in questions of values and cultural understanding.
• Ambassador, I would like to give a very warm welcome to you and your staff. I look forward to continuing our cooperation.