Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jan Petersen

Launching of the programme for Norway’s Centennial Anniversary 1905-2005

7 June 2004, Grand Hotel, Oslo

As you all know, the Foreign Ministry’s address is 7. juniplassen (7 June Square). This could not be more appropriate given that the events leading up to our independence from Sweden in 1905 were triggered by foreign policy – the need for an independent foreign policy and the need for a separate consular service. 2005 will therefore also have an emphasis on foreign policy.

The Foreign Service’s 100 ^th> anniversary will be marked by a permanent exhibition in Victoria terrasse, by a book on the history of the foreign service, by television programmes and by seminars in a number of other countries.

Actually our programme abroad has started well ahead of time. Russia was the first country to recognise Norway, which it did on 30 October 1905, and last Wednesday the Norwegian-Russian exhibition Norway-Russia. Neighbours for 1000 Years opened at Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. After this, it is to go to St. Petersburg, where it will open in April 2005. Among other things it has provided an excellent opportunity for me to hold talks with my Russian colleague.

The Prime Minister talked of three main themes for the celebrations. We want to focus on 1) Norway’s role in peace efforts and conflict resolution, 2) Norway’s management of its natural resources and 3) Norway’s position as a modern society based on knowledge and culture and characterised by diversity, renewal and expertise.

In addition to the obvious focus on our relations with Sweden, the programme abroad will be concentrated on Denmark, the UK, Russia, the USA, Germany, France, Japan, China, South Africa and India. Target groups in the various countries have been chosen, for example climate researchers in the UK, young sports enthusiasts in New York, radio music fans in France, peace researchers in Denmark and film fans in northern Germany.

The events of 1905 were also partly a result of the emergence of a Norwegian identity. Our shipping industry, polar expeditions, and world-famous writers and scientists all contributed to a more pronounced awareness of what it meant to be Norwegian.

However, in the programme abroad we do not intend to put the emphasis on our national consciousness. I do not want to focus on Norwegian characteristics that could separate us from other nations. My aim is, on the contrary, to show what we have in common, our networks and co-operation with other countries in a large number of areas and at every level, and the opportunities they represent. This will show that Norway is an active participant in the international community in the cultural, academic, political and economic spheres.

Our culture is what defines us and gives us our distinctive profile. Culture will therefore play a large role in the programme abroad. We have the icons of our golden age – Ibsen, Grieg, Munch, Undset. But we are also in the process of producing new icons, or at any rate names that other countries associate with Norway, and these will of course be part of our programme.

The main outlines of the programme abroad will be drawn here in Oslo. But it is primarily the embassies that, in co-operation with a large number of local partners and their contacts in Norway, will fill in the details. These local ties and knowledge will be invaluable in choosing and organising the programme events and in making sure that we reach our target groups.

In other words, we are concerned with using the right arenas for promoting Norway, marking our anniversary, and gaining influence abroad. We are still working on the programme, but I would like to mention five examples of arenas and target groups that we have so far chosen:

• Cultural festivals are today’s market places and meeting places for forming networks and promoting culture. In 2005 we will be supporting festivals in for example Paris, Gothenburg, Huddersfield, Edinburgh, Moscow, Lübeck and Roskilde. The focus will be on music, which is a form of communication that transcends language and cultural borders. This is also a field where Norwegian artists are revealing a skill and originality that are world class. We will be supporting rock bands, ensembles, opera productions and other performances abroad. The festival concerts to be held in connection with official visits will feature a good deal of contemporary music.

• Academic institutions abroad are another target group. Seminars and conferences will be arranged on subjects ranging from natural resource management, energy co-operation and safety at sea to ICT, value creation and biomedicine.

• Peaceful conflict resolution, reconciliation and development will be emphasised. Norway has become known for its role in supporting peace efforts in various parts of the world. We will not be highlighting this in 2005, but we want to draw a line from the peaceful resolution of the conflict in 1905 and into the future. Can our experience be systematised? Seminars in places like Stockholm, Seattle, Cape Town, Copenhagen and Paris will help to throw light on this question.

• Children and young people are another focus, both as target groups and as participants. For example, we are involved together with others in putting together an international touring exhibition on children’s rights, we placing special emphasis on children and young people in the annual Norway Run in New York, and we are being used as a case in teaching on the environment in British primary schools.

• The Norwegian-Russian exhibition I have mentioned and a Norwegian-German exhibition, both of which will be shown in Norway and abroad, will provide a broad overview of the very diverse historical and modern-day ties between these nations. In London several exhibitions will be held on the themes of cultural history, modern fashion and design, and Queen Maud of Norway’s wardrobe.

As you can see on the wall behind me, a special website has been created for the programme abroad: www.2005.norway.info. It is closely co-ordinated with Norway Portal and is part of the media strategy being developed for the programme.

The aim of the centennial celebrations abroad is to update the images of Norway that many people have and make more people aware of us. We will be marking 100 years of close contact with some of the main countries with which we have longstanding ties, and we will show that we are actively tackling the challenges of today. We will demonstrate that Norway is and will continue to be a wholehearted participant in the international community, both now, in 2005, and in the years to come.

Thank you for your attention.