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Prime Minister Blair,

Ministers, Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to be back in the UK, and I’m especially pleased to be able to open Langeled with Prime Minister Blair today.

The opening of a new pipeline from Norway to the UK is an historic occasion for us.
We are entering a truly long-term partnership.
We are celebrating great achievements of engineering, exploration and contracting.
And great future benefits for the UK as well as for Norway.
Norwegians have always loved this country.
And they come here in great numbers.
Not only for business, but also indeed for pleasure.
I am here on both accounts today.
Langeled unites us - as the North Sea has done - over centuries.

About a thousand years ago, the Vikings came across the North sea .
For their own kind of business.
And indeed for pleasure.
They were a hardy people.
950 years ago – 1066 – The Norwegian king Harald Hardrada came here only to be defeated at Stamford Bridge – not far from Easington.

Our trade has a long history. Our first bilateral free trade agreement was signed between King Henry the third and King Håkon Håkonsson in 1223.

The last century has been a particularly fruitful one in our relations. Our first queen in modern times, Maud, was the daughter of Edward the seventh. Her son and our King, Olav the fifth, was born in Sandringham.
Moreover, London gave refuge to our King and Government during the Nazi occupation of Norway.

Today, the closeness between us is also about bonds and shared interests among ordinary people. British modern culture, media, sports – they all have a place in the hearts and minds of Norwegians.

Today’s Vikings walk the financial district. Or they come here by the thousands to cheer their favourite British football teams, as lifelong, loyal fans.

For decades now, energy has gained a prominent role in our daily business relations.
We have developed our petroleum resources largely in parallel, sharing and learning, handling common affairs in a professional and good-neighbourly manner.

But also generally, Norwegians and the British share the same values.
We see eye to eye on the main challenges of our time are, and we stand united in facing them.
We stand shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan.
And we work closely together on aid to developing countries.
In the struggle against global warming we have a special role as large petroleum producers, and we have formed joint working groups and task forces to deal with it.

Last week Norway took a giant leap on our own. The decision was made that the government, together with Statoil, will develop and build a full scale carbon capture plant on a new combined heat and power plant on our west coast.
Full scale carbon capture will take effect from 2014.
This has never been done before.
We are poised to do it.

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

Langeled is a tangible link between our two countries.
Ultimately, such pipeline projects are built on trust.
Solid trust and long-term contracts.
Today’s event brings good news also to British households and industry. The Langeled pipeline will ensure secure supplies of gas to the UK for the next 50 years.

As you have heard, Norway already delivers 10 per cent of the gas used in the UK.
Langeled will enable us to increase that share to more than 30 per cent.
And, in addition, this source is more environmentally benign than oil and coal.
And more secure supplies are good for consumers.
It lowers prices.
Thus, we are pleased to be part of a solution to Britain’s energy future.
Access to the British market has enabled Norwegian companies to invest in exciting new technologies.
Not least in extraction methods that have enabled the large Ormen Lange gas field to be brought into production.

To Mr Reiten, Hydro and its partners I would like to say, “Congratulations!”. Langeled and Ormen Lange are amazing feats of engineering.
The longest sub-sea pipeline in the world has been completed on schedule and within budget.
It is indeed a proud day for the Hydro, a world class company, and for the whole Norwegian petroleum industry.
The attendance of these children at today’s event is symbolic and very real. They will benefit from this project through their lifetimes.

Langeled is about the future – and about ever closer cooperation between us.

That is why I am so proud to be with you here today.
Celebrating human ingenuity.

Thank you.