Prime Minister, Mrs Paroubková, distinguished guests,

Mr. Prime Minister, it has been a great pleasure to welcome you and your wife to Oslo for a short, yet important visit.

Today, we are partners in NATO. We are partners in the political Europe through your EU membership and our EEA agreement. And we are partners in the network of shared cultural identity of Europe.

Your country had to follow a troubled path to the present. It was one of the few true European democracies in the years between the First and Second World Wars. It was also an industrial engine – a leading country in Europe.

The political developments in Prague in 1948 had a decisive influence on Norway’s foreign policy. Our sympathy with the Czech people was further deepened when images from Prague rolled across Norwegian television screens in 1968.

In recent years, we have followed the rapid transition process in the Czech Republic and admired the impressive achievements of your country. We have tried our best to be helpful in the process.

Soon we can celebrate the second anniversary of the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU. It is a country with great potential and a great future.

Today, the Czech Republic and not least its capital is one of the great cultural centres of Central Europe. For centuries, your country has been a cradle of great scientific and artistic achievements. As important as shared political ideals, are the culture ties that bind us. Your country has produced world scientists, writers and composers.

Your country’s attraction has probably never been greater than it is today. Millions of visitors travel to the Czech Republic every year in search of new experiences and perspectives. Among young people, and among the not-so-young-people, such as my wife and I, Prague is again one of the most attractive destinations of Europe.

The Czech Republic is very attractive also to the business community. Several of our guests here tonight represent companies which are active in your country. Natural gas, too, has become an important commodity in our trade over the last ten years. Today we look to the Czech Republic as one of the most important transit states for natural gas, which is essential for secure supplies to Western Europe. Recent events have illustrated the importance of unimpeded transit.

Prime Minister, I know that you take a keen interest in football. And that you were present at the stadium when the Czech national team beat Norway to qualify for the World Cup this year in Germany. We have recovered from the disappointment - And we have restored our pride. After all the Czech team is ranked second in the world. We hope to even the score in Turin next month.

Mr. Prime Minister, I hope that you and your wife have enjoyed your stay in Oslo. I look forward to continuing our dialogue. I am certain that our talks today have brought our strong bilateral ties and cooperation another step forward.

With these words, Mr. Prime Minister, let me propose a toast to the continued close relations between Norway and the Czech Republic.