Mr President,

During the past week we have experienced events the like of which Norway has never seen. We have seen angry people demonstrating against our country. Embassies in flames. Flags burned and trampled on. We have seen attacks on and threats against people who are working to foster understanding between countries and promote economic and social progress.

And yesterday armed extremists attacked a small unit of Norwegian and allied forces in Afghanistan.

The images almost defy comprehension, and many people are concerned about the development of the events. The impact this has on us is made all the stronger because we do not feel we are part of any conflict with any country, ethnic group or religion.

Quite the contrary. As the Foreign Minister will point out in his address later today, Norway is doing its best to act as a bridge-builder and to promote social and economic development. This is also how our country is generally perceived by the outside world.

We are dedicating large resources to facilitating peaceful solutions to a number of conflicts. Our soldiers are making a big effort to stabilise conflict situations. Our assistance aims to fight poverty and help people and countries to build a better future. These efforts will continue.

Seen against this background, the events we have recently experienced show, on the one hand, how close we are to each other in today’s world and, on the other hand, how many obstacles remain to be overcome.

We share one world, but humanity does not yet perceive itself as one.

In today’s world, every word that is uttered can be spread to all corners of the world at the speed of light. But this technological development has not been matched by a similar development of our cultural ability to understand and interpret other people’s way of life.

Like most other societies, Norwegian society has become multicultural, and encompasses different outlooks and sets of norms. The great task of our generation is to ensure that different cultures can coexist peacefully, that we avoid cultural arrogance and that the efforts to put into practice the fundamental freedoms inherent in the universal human rights prevail over the counter-forces.

The violent reactions towards Norway are not an expression of Muslims’ attitudes in general – they are the expression of a few extremists’ attitudes. This is particularly evidenced by the condemnation of the attacks by Norwegian Muslims. Reports from countries that are experiencing the unrest, most recently from Iran, reveal that many people disapprove of their countrymen’s attacks on Norwegian embassies.

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We have a lot to learn from other people’s values.

But in some areas we are uncompromising:

We do not accept violence against innocent people.

We must show great tolerance for other people’s way of expressing themselves.

But we find it offensive when our flag is trampled on and burned. Norwegian Muslims react against this as well. The Norwegian flag is their flag too.

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Many people are worried by the events during the past few days.

Many Norwegians of immigrant background find the images of the furious masses disturbing.

Many are also afraid of reprisals and discrimination.

I can understand that many people are worried in this situation. But I want everyone to know that the Norwegian authorities and police are constantly working to ensure the safety of all of Norway’s inhabitants.

The police have increased their vigilance.

The safety of persons at risk is being assessed on an ongoing basis.

I am pleased to note that the police still assess the level of threat in Norway to be moderate. No specific threats have been made against Norway or foreign interests in our country.

Continuous efforts are being made to ensure the safety of Norwegians abroad. The personnel at our embassies, our military forces and other Norwegians are being kept up to date on the situation.

Our foreign service missions in the affected areas have been put on higher alert.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in touch with a number of governments to ensure that they are fulfilling their commitments to safeguard the Norwegian embassies.

Mr President,

We do not wish, and will not allow, divisions to arise between groups of people.

As a country we must succeed – and will succeed – in our integration policy. We want to be a country that has room for a variety of opinions, expressions and faiths. We cannot pursue this goal if we compromise on our fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom from fear, violence and oppression, and the freedom of expression. We must fight to extend these freedoms.

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Yesterday a critical situation arose when 200-300 armed Afghan extremists attacked the headquarters of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Meymaneh in northern Afghanistan, which is led by Norway.

There were 33 Norwegian soldiers in the camp and around 20 from other countries, including Finland and Latvia.

Six Norwegian soldiers were injured, none of them critically. Two have been evacuated for treatment. The remaining are being treated locally. During the attack reinforcements and air support were necessary, including Dutch F-16 fighters and US ground support aircraft.

British forces were flown in by German helicopters. These, together with local Afghan forces, helped to bring the situation under control.

Our soldiers deserve praise.

The Norwegian soldiers defended themselves resolutely and showed good judgement. They confirmed the impression I got of them when I visited Afghanistan in December, as extremely well-educated and well-trained soldiers.

The training and equipment they have been provided with make them able to take on demanding and dangerous tasks.

It is important for me to assure all those who have their friends and dear ones in Afghanistan and in other service abroad that they are carrying out important tasks for Norway and the world community.

We will do our utmost to ensure that they receive the support they need, and return safely when they have completed their tour of duty.

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It has been reported that Afghan security forces fired at the attackers and that some of the attackers were killed. It is always highly regrettable when human lives are lost.

The situation in Afghanistan is now calmer, but the fact that such events can occur is very serious. However, we are prepared for any new critical situations that may arise.

I have discussed this event with President Karzai. He commended the Norwegian forces for their contribution to promoting peace and security in Afghanistan, a country that has been racked by war, civil war, violence and oppression for decades.

NATO’s Secretary General has assured that NATO will provide support for the Norwegian forces. He has the greatest respect for the quality of the Norwegian forces and the way in which they discharged their duties.

Mr President,

Norway has a long-term perspective on the international assistance it is providing to stabilise the situation in Afghanistan. It is precisely in critical situations that it is important that we stand by our commitments.

We must not give way to pressure. Violence and threats must not be allowed to prevail.

The Norwegian forces will remain in Afghanistan.

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Mr President,

This morning our ambassador to Damascus delivered a strong note of protest to the Syrian Government.

The attack on the Norwegian Embassy was an unparalleled event. It was Syria’s responsibility to prevent it happening, but it failed to fulfil that responsibility.

Syria still has a responsibility to protect our personnel in the country. We will hold them economically responsible for the damages.

I have discussed this issue with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who shares our basic standpoint on the utterly unacceptable events that took place in Damascus. This is a question of respect for international law.

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Mr President,

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, and essential in a democratic society and for freedom of religion. It is crucial if different religions are to be practised side by side. Freedom of religion is important for the protection of minorities and is one of the human rights that are protected by international law.

Freedom of expression is a constitutional right in Norway.

I agree with those who say that freedom of expression is a right, but not a duty. We all have a responsibility to be considerate towards others when we express ourselves.

Not least we have a responsibility to show consideration towards other people’s faith or belief.

The caricatures of Muhammad have offended many Muslims.

In a democracy like ours people have the right to publish such drawings, just as they have the right to make other controversial, provocative statements.

However, every single day the Norwegian media refrain from publishing certain statements, texts, pictures and drawings.

They could publish them, as we have freedom of expression, but they choose not to on the basis of their own criteria.

The key point here is that it is the media that make that decision – not the authorities.

But every free expression must stand up to being assessed, debated and criticised on the basis of its content and the context in which it is made. This is also an aspect of freedom of expression.

It can be argued that it was unwise to publish the drawings on the basis of a number of criteria. However, this is not the same as advocating that the freedom of expression should be limited. On the contrary, it is participating in the free debate and exchange of ideas that the freedom of expression is meant to protect.

An important part of all people’s upbringing and social training is that they learn to be sensitive when talking about other people. At the same time, the right to express oneself freely is crucial to the advance of humankind by making it possible to criticise and question established truths.

Whatever people may think of them, the drawings do not justify the use of violence or threats, or to attack the freedom of expression.

The French philosopher Voltaire put it like this: “I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

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The Government must be clear and unambiguous in its condemnation of violence, and must not give way to terror. And we must underline that we have a need and a strong wish for dialogue – a dialogue between cultures, countries and religions.

In my opinion the situation following the publication of the caricatures has been handled well by the leading Muslim communities in Norway. Key leaders have been uncompromising in their condemnation of violence and harassment.

We must not allow the extremists set the agenda and dominate the arena. During the last week, the Foreign Minister has therefore maintained close contact with the Islamic Council in Norway and other prominent Muslims.

The Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion, who has a particular responsibility for the integration and inclusion of the immigrant population, will today have a meeting with young Muslims to hear their views on the situation and our attempts to build bridges between communities.

We wish to keep in contact with religious leaders in Norway and other countries. We wish to draw on their experience and listen to their advice.

We wish to prevent conflicts, not to create them.

We will continue the established dialogue between the authorities and representatives of the various religious communities. This dialogue is vital for dealing constructively with the challenges that can arise in the interface between the majority society and religious minorities.

Our vision is to create one of the most successful inclusive societies the world has seen. To achieve this, we will have to build mutual understanding and prevent the emergence of a class society based on ethnic origin. The Government has started work on an action plan for the integration and inclusion of the immigrant population.

This process will include dialogue with the immigrant communities.

We must work at both the national and the global level. The UN is an important arena for promoting dialogue for peace and reconciliation.

The way ahead will not be easy, but there is no alternative.

We are bound to experience setbacks, but we are determined to keep moving forwards towards our goal.