Change of political advisor in UD

The Office of the Prime Minister has from 24 April appointed Mr. Tarjei Skirbekk (37), information advisor, Oslo, as political advisor to Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre. Skirbekk succeeds Ms. Gry Larsen, today appointed state secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Tarjei Skirbekk comes from a post as information advisor to the Labour Party’s parliamentary group. He has previously been advisor at the Ministry of Education and Research and senior executive officer at the Norwegian UNESCO Commission. Skirbekk has been member of the Labour Party’s programme committee and leader of the Labour Youth in Bergen and Hordaland. Skirbekk holds the Cand. Philol. degree from the University of Oslo 2001, with history of ideas as his main subject.

The Government represents the Labour Party (Lab.), the Socialist Left Party (Soc.) and the Centre Party (Cent.). The list of political advisors now is as follows:

 

To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)
Ms. Mina Gerhardsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)
Ms. Sylvi Annie Bratten (Soc.)

To Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Ms. Anne Tingelstad Wøien (Cent.)

To Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)
Mr. Tarjei Skirbekk (Lab.)

To Minister of Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland (Soc.)
Mr. Kyrre Lekve (Soc.)

To Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa (Cent.)
Mr. Lars Erik Bartnes (Cent.) – leave of absence 8 June-19 July 2009

To Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)
Ms. Ragnhild Mathisen (Lab.)

To Minister of the Environment and International Development
Erik Solheim (Soc.)
Mr. Morten Wasstøl (Soc.) – leave of absence 2 March-7 June 2009
Mr. Arvinn E. Gadgil (Soc.) – acting from 27 June 2008

To Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk (Cent.)
Ms. Ane Kismul (Cent.)

To Minster of Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen (Lab.)
Ms. Hadia Tajik (Lab.)
Ms. Solveig Torsvik (Lab.)

To Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen (Lab.)
Ms. Lubna Jaffery Fjell (Lab.)

To Minister of Justice Knut Storberget (Lab.)
Mr. Eirik Øwre Thorshaug (Lab.)

To Minister of Culture and Church Affairs Trond Giske (Lab.)
Ms. Trine Synøve Lie Larsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad (Lab.)
Ms. Fride Solbakken (Lab.)

To Minister of Government Administration and Reform
Heidi Grande Røys (Soc.)
Mr. Jørund Leknes (Soc.)

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen (Cent.)
Mr. Jarand Felland (Cent.)

To Minister of Children and Equality Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)
Mr. Tord Dale (Lab.)

To Minister of Education Bård Vegar Solhjell (Soc.)
Mr. Ketil Raknes (Soc.)

To Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Helga Pedersen (Lab.)
Ms. Anne Cathrine Berger (Lab.)