President Ravalomanana and Mrs Lalao Ravalomanana,
Foreign Minister Ranjeva and Mrs Sahondra Ranjeva,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Salama Tompoko, tonga soa eto Norvezy!
(“Good evening, Sir, welcome to Norway!”)

It is a great honour and pleasure for me to host this dinner on behalf of the Norwegian government. Many Norwegians have travelled to Madagascar through the years, and we are very glad to have you with us here in Oslo. Your visit underscores the ties of friendship between our countries and people. Mr President, this dinner not only marks the beginning of your official visit to Norway, but also a new chapter in the relations between Norway and Madagascar.

The historical ties between our nations are deep and longstanding. This surprises people who are neither Norwegian nor Malagasy. How can two countries so far apart, separated by two continents, come to be so close? Above all it is Norwegian missionaries who are responsible for these close ties. But they may not have been the first Norwegians in Madagascar. It may have been a Norwegian on a somewhat less honourable mission. I have been told, you see, that one of the pirates who operated in Madagascar in the 16 ^th> or 17 ^th> century was a Norwegian called Lofthus.

Ever since the first Norwegian missionaries arrived in Madagascar in 1866, generations of Norwegians have heard stories about the island state. The first stories told of the prime minister who married three successive queens to stay in power. Subsequent generations heard about the strong 19 ^th> century state that was ultimately forced to succumb to French colonisation.

My generation of Norwegians was told about the joy of liberation in 1960, but also about the disappointment and unfulfilled expectations of social and economic development in the decades that followed.

I myself learned more about Madagascar in spring 1966, in my last semester of upper secondary school, when a group of us travelled around the county of Møre og Romsdal collecting money to build a youth camp in Western Madagascar. We told about the missionary island, sang the Malagasy national anthem, and collected about NOK 110 000, which was quite a lot of money then. At any rate it was enough to finish building this camp. The place was named Tsarafototra, which I understand means “firm foundation”, which is precisely what you need to continue to build your society.

My government was deeply concerned about the political crisis in 2002, and equally relieved to see that it was resolved in a peaceful manner. After the crisis, your government has given new hope to the Malagasy people. Hope of a new and prosperous future.

Mr President, it is not only Norwegian missionaries and aid workers who have worked with you to promote development in your country. Norwegian cattle have also played their part. In 1965 a bull and ten cows, all in calf, were shipped to Madagascar. In recent years, there has been extensive bilateral cooperation in the area of cattle breeding, with the result that the stock of Norwegian Reds and the cross between them and the local Zebu cattle has grown considerably. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Norwegian Reds have been producing a good deal of milk on your farm, too, Mr President.

Mr President, when you opened a new chapter in the history of Madagascar, you opened the door to closer relations with your friends two continents away. You are a man who achieves impressive results in politics, as well as in business. It was your emphasis on eradicating poverty and developing good governance that made my government commit itself to supporting you at this historic moment for Madagascar. It is you who are in the driver’s seat, taking responsibility for your own development. You have our support. We will work together with you for the benefit of the Malagasy people.

We are now establishing a new foundation for our co-operation, and will be actively supporting the consolidation of democracy in Madagascar. Tomorrow we will sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will provide the basis for our development co-operation for the coming years. Your plan “Education for All” sets out ambitious goals to provide basic education for all children by 2015. Your poverty reduction strategy cites good governance as a prerequisite for broad social and economic development. We are pleased to be your partner in development in these extremely important areas.

Our support to FIFAMANOR, a centre for applied research on agriculture, will also continue. This centre has been a cornerstone of our development co-operation for the last thirty years. And it will continue to be in the foreseeable future.

I firmly believe that it will be easier for you to fight poverty if the donor community co-ordinates its support. When we establish the new embassy in Antananarivo this summer, donor co-ordination will be one of its tasks.

Mr President, our ties have been forged over many generations. Norwegians who have visited or lived in your country have come to appreciate the warmth and friendliness of your people, to long for your sunny beaches on cold winter days and to value the rich culture of your beautiful island nation.

Today, Mr President, greatly due to your efforts, Norway and Madagascar are beginning a new chapter of increased cooperation one in which our shared commitment to democracy and poverty eradication will be the main subject.