New state secretary in Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In today’s session of the Council of State the King has appointed Mr. Torgeir Larsen (44), ambassador, Madrid, as state secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre.

Torgeir Larsen originally comes from Rygge in the County of Østfold, and has been Norway’s ambassador to Spain since 2010. He was the Foreign Minister’s chief of staff 2006-2010. Larsen has been in the Foreign Ministry’s service since 1995, except for a period on national daily Dagbladet’s political department 2002-2006. He was a journalist on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) 1992-1995. Larsen holds the degree of Cand. Polit. at the University of Oslo, in history, political science and Spanish language and literature. He also has a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics.

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

To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)
Ms. Rita Skjærvik (Lab.)
Mr. Tor Brostigen (Soc.)
Mr. Dagfinn Sundsbø (Cent.)
Mr. Hans Kristian Amundsen (Lab.)
Mr. Svein Fjellheim (Lab.)
Mr. Snorre Wikstrøm (Lab.)
Ms. Mina Gerhardsen (Lab.) – leave of absence from 7 May 2011. Will resign at a
                                          date to be decided by the Office of the Prime Minister
Ms. Inger-Anne Ravlum (Lab.)

To Minister of Education Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)
Ms. Lisbeth Rugtvedt (Soc.)
Mr. Roger Sandum (Soc.)

To Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Ms. Hege Solbakken (Cent.)
Ms. Guri Størvold (Cent.)
Mr. Dag-Henrik Sandbakken (Cent.)
Ms. Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim (Cent.)
– acting from 3 October 2011

To Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)
Ms. Gry Larsen (Lab.)
Mr. Torgeir Larsen (Lab.)
Mr. Erik Lahnstein (Cent.)

To Minister of Justice and the Police Grete Faremo (Lab.),
from 1 January 2012 Minister of Justice and Preparedness
Mr. Terje Moland Pedersen (Lab.)
Ms. Astri Aas-Hansen (Lab.)
Mr. Pål Lønseth (Lab.)
Mr. Eirik Øwre Thorshaug (Lab.) – acting 11 November 2011-31 December 2011

To Minister of Finance Sigbjørn Johnsen (Lab.)
Ms. Hilde Singsaas (Lab.)
Mr. Kjetil Lund (Lab.)
Mr. Roger Schjerva (Soc.)
Mr. Morten Søberg (Cent.)

To Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske (Lab.)
Ms. Rikke Lind (Lab.)
Mr. Halvard Ingebrigtsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Transport and Communications
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa  (Cent.)
Mr. Lars Erik Bartnes (Cent.)

To Minister of Health and Care Services Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)
Ms. Ragnhild Mathisen (Lab.)
Mr. Robin Kåss (Lab.)
Ms. Lotte Grepp Knutsen – from 27 December 2011

To Minister of Environment and International Development Erik Solheim (Soc.)
Ms. Heidi Sørensen (Soc.) – Environment Affairs
Ms. Ingrid Fiskaa (Soc.) – International Development Affairs

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

To Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)
Ms. Lotte Grepp Knutsen (Lab.) – leave of absence 7 March 2011-27 December
                                                2011, to resign 27 December 2011
Ms. Lubna Jaffery (Lab.)
Ms. Mina Gerhardsen (Lab.) – appointed 30 September 2011, appointment active
                                           from a date to be decided by the
                                           Office of the Prime Minister
Ms. Kjersti Stenseng (Lab.) – acting 1 November 2011-31 December 2011

To Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk (Cent.)
Mr. Harald Oskar Buttedahl (Cent.)

To Minister of Government Administration, Reform
and Church Affairs Rigmor Aasrud (Lab.)
Mr. Raimo Valle (Lab.)
Ms. Tone-Helen Toften (Lab.)
Mr. Jon Reidar Øyan (Lab.)

To Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm (Lab.)
Mr. Jan-Erik Støstad (Lab.)
Ms. Gina Lund (Lab.)

To Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen (Lab.)
Ms. Kristine Gramstad (Lab.)

To Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion Audun Lysbakken (Soc.)
Ms. Henriette Westhrin (Soc.)
Ms. Kirsti Bergstø (Soc.)

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ola Borten Moe (Cent.)
Ms. Eli Blakstad (Cent.)
Mr. Per Rune Henriksen (Lab.)

To Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide (Lab.)
Mr. Roger Ingebrigtsen (Lab.)