Introduction

Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Defence in our time is about being flexible. Our Armed Forces operate in areas that differ hugely. I have seen this for myself. In the North the stormy weather, cold and darkness call for special skills, while in operations abroad we have to deal with tropical heat and sand. The cultural differences encountered are also great.

This means that missions will vary enormously. The men and women of our Armed Forces have to act on behalf of our country both at sea in northern waters and when meeting villagers in Afghanistan. They have kept their Norwegian values and a robust commitment to international law with them at all times.

My first 100 days as Defence Minister are almost over. So I am both honoured and delighted to have been invited to address the Society on this traditional occasion. It affords a good opportunity for me to mark out the way ahead as seen by the Stoltenberg II government in terms of security and defence policy.

As Defence Minister with political responsibility for this country’s instruments of military power, it is with humility and respect that I have set about my task. Nevertheless I will not shirk difficult decisions when they have to be made.

The world is changing. Norway must move on, and so must our Armed Forces.

The Soria Moria declaration sets out the point of departure for the work of this government for the next four years. It defines the character and direction of our policies in areas including security and defence. In three areas in particular, we have especially clear ambitions.

Firstly, the Government will continue the process of modernising the Armed Forces set in motion by the Stoltenberg I government at the start of this decade. The focus here must be on our operational defence capability. The resources that we allocate for military purposes must be used in ways that enable the Armed Forces to fulfil their missions in the best way possible.

Secondly, the Government will give particular attention to the northern areas. This is the most strategically important area for investment in the coming years. The driving force here stems from the enormous possibilities in this region. But we face substantial challenges and the Armed Forces will continue to play a vital role in the North.

And thirdly, globalisation is one of the most important features of the times we live in. The Government well appreciates that this has consequences for our security and defence policy. That is why we wish to make an active contribution to the promotion of the international rule of law based on the United Nations charter and the tenets of international law. Norwegian involvement in UN operations will be increased. Both the UN and NATO remain cornerstones of Norwegian security and defence policy.

These themes provide the structure for my message this evening. I should like to begin by considering the international situation, then focus on the northern areas, and then conclude by addressing the further development of the Armed Forces.

The Armed Forces as an international tool

Norway has, in modern times, been an active participant in the cause of international security ever since acceding to the United Nations Charter in 1945. A new dimension was added when we took part in the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 1949. Our experiences during the Second World War formed the backdrop to these actions.

The Cold War obliged the Norwegian Armed Forces to concentrate their activities here at home, essentially due to Norwegian’s geographical position on NATO’s northern flank. Even though Alliance plans and exercises were based on the insertion of mobile forces in exposed areas, Norwegian defence was essentially static.

Norway made preparations for the reception of allied forces and constructed military camps and defensive installations. But for many of our allies, the protection of the northern flank meant an international operation – and fortunately this concept was bolstered by extensive plans and exercises. Norwegian operations abroad were thus seen as a form of supplementary activity.

This is the main reason why the business of modernisation has been a more demanding process for us than for many of our allies. Only after the fall of the Berlin Wall could our obligations be viewed in their entirety. They could then be seen against the background of a new security situation, a new and more complex threat picture in which geographical distances were of less significance, and a general increase in mutual dependence between nations and regions.

Today we are experiencing increased acknowledgement of the international community’s obligation to contribute towards the establishment of stability, democracy and the observance of human rights; a course of action which also serves to enhance our own security in the world around us. We are therefore reshaping our military capabilities to include a closer focus on international operations.

The previous Stoltenberg government set about loosening Norwegian defence from the grip of the Cold War in earnest and made a start on the essential process of restructuring and modernising the Armed Forces.

All of us who work in defence – both politicians and the military, and not least service families – have learned a lot in a very short time.

- Politicians have learned a lot about what international operations entail. When we in the Government take a political decision about military participation in an operation – whether it be at home or abroad – the men and women of the Armed Forces must know that they will have our fullest support.

- The military have also adapted. Service abroad has become a natural part of a military career.

Operations tend to take place in conflict areas where the situation is complicated. The intensity of the operation can vary widely. Our service personnel must therefore always be trained and equipped for the most demanding missions when they serve abroad. And while they are in the field they deserve, and must be given, professional leadership of a high order.

And they must be given the proper care and attention when they return home. Those who need it must be given specialist care, both medical and psychosocial. It is vital that we should take care of our men and women to the very best of our ability when they have served their country in international operations abroad.

The safety and security of service personnel is given very high priority in military operations and is a factor given much weight when we are considering the use of Norwegian forces.

I have been greatly impressed by the high professional standards maintained by our personnel and I have witnessed for myself the importance of relevant experience and being provided with the right training and equipment. But every military operation inevitably involves a degree of risk.

We must, therefore, continue to strive to ensure that this combination of competence, experience and equipment is so good that it keeps our forces safe and secure and allows them to carry out their missions in the best possible way.

- The service families at home have also had to adapt. I myself have had a son serving in Kosovo. There were many questions that I asked myself. What could he expect? Was he in safe hands? Did he know what he was doing? Did the officers know? Were the politicians conscious of their responsibilities? I was wondering the whole time how he was and I longed for the day when he would be coming home again.

This experience has been useful to me as Defence Minister. There are many families who have felt the strain of having one of their own serving abroad in an international operation which could last several months. The Armed Forces are in the process of developing guidelines for looking after family welfare in these circumstances and that is something that I shall be following up. The quality of the contribution that our men and women can make depends on them knowing that all is well at home.

In future the Government will give priority to the use of Norwegian forces under the auspices of formal multilateral organisations rather than in so-called coalitions of states willing to take part. This is partly because this will strengthen international efforts to promote security and the international rule of law. It is also partly because the political influence of smaller countries like Norway can be exerted to better effect in organisations which have a permanent structure.

The United Nations

The Government wishes to affirm and strengthen the clear line that Norway has taken with regard to the UN, and which has been a feature of its foreign and security policy, ever since the end of the Second World War.

For many decades Norway has been an active participant in the UN’s peace operations, but this involvement has been greatly reduced in recent years. The Soria Moria Declaration paves the way for a new increase in Norwegian participation in UN-led operations, especially in Africa, the continent which has had to endure the most dramatic conflicts in recent times measured in terms of human suffering.

I should like to say something about developments within the UN in order to explain why it is our ambition to channel more of our efforts directly through this organisation.

Following the end of the Cold War the UN conducted a number of peace operations that were larger and far more ambitious than any attempted before. Even though some of these were quite successful, it was clear in a number of cases that there was no match between the challenges to be overcome and the resources that contributing countries were willing to make available.

Inability to stop the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, and the tragic events in Srebrenica in 1995, contributed to the belief that the UN’s own peace operations had suffered a powerful shot across the bows. The number of officers and soldiers in blue helmets fell from some 80,000 in 1993 to well under 20,000 by the turn of the century.

Over the last few years the UN has itself been addressing the challenges that the organisation faced in the mid-1990s. The proposals contained in the Brahimi Report on reform of the UN’s peacekeeping operations from the year 2000 – which has received Norway’s active support – have to a large extent been implemented. There are, however, a number of challenges remaining.

Today’s UN operations are considerably more integrated and robust than those of a decade ago. And more often than previously they are covered by a Chapter VII mandate which allows the use of force other than in self-defence, something which has proved to be essential. At the same time arrangements have been made to strengthen coordination between military, political, humanitarian and development aspects during the transition from a conflict situation to a lasting peace. We have also seen a marked increase in the number of UN operations and the number of personnel serving in them.

Today there are more than 80,000 men and women engaged in 18 peace operations, many of which have only recently been initiated. A number of operations have been concluded successfully. Both in East Timor and in Sierra Leone the UN has achieved the objectives set for its military presence. The remaining challenges will be mainly civil in nature.

Free and independent elections were held in Liberia recently. As a result the country, for the first time for many years, has a president who appears to be capable of uniting the country. Even Congo – which until a few years had been embroiled in Africa’s most extensive regional civil war – appears to be showing some signs of progress thanks to the UN presence.

Today the UN has grown to become the largest player in international peacekeeping. But this growth has taken place without any real contribution from the rich countries of the northern hemisphere. It is the mainly the larger countries of the southern hemisphere, with Bangladesh, Pakistan and India in the lead, that have shouldered the tasks involved.

Norwegian military contributions must be assessed on the basis of the UN’s needs and the capabilities that Norway has at its disposal – and which can be fruitfully employed. Good examples are the units which can be made available for planning, intelligence work, logistics and communications and which help to make other countries’ contributions more effective. Combat elements may also be appropriate.

The Nordic countries have worked together previously in providing the UN with various capabilities. The Government has taken up the question of renewing this cooperation.

The use of Norwegian forces must be firmly based on international law. This will normally mean operating with a mandate from the UN Security Council in accordance with Chapters VI or VII of the Charter. But other situations for which provision is made under international law, such as action in self-defence or with the consent of the parties concerned, may also provide a basis for Norwegian involvement.

International law also provides an important framework for conduct in military operations. A single error may have far-reaching consequences. One of the aims of engaging in operations abroad must be to foster respect for human rights and the provisions of international law.

It is for this reason that the Government has taken the initiative to conclude an agreement with the Afghan authorities. The purpose of the agreement is to ensure that it will be possible to make sure that persons handed over by Norwegian forces to the Afghan authorities are treated in accordance with international human rights.

The agreement is to ensure that personnel handed over do not face the risk of torture or the death penalty. In addition, both Norwegian forces and any specified independent third parties must have access to such persons while they remain in the custody of the Afghan authorities.

The Government will work to support and strengthen the fight against terrorism with regard to both effectiveness and legitimacy.

We will continue to make sure that our personnel are well versed in the provisions of agreements, conventions and the rules of engagement. They must be sure of themselves and of the framework within which an operation is being conducted. This is a matter of military professionalism.

Women are often the main victims of contemporary conflicts. But experience has also shown that women can often play an important role in conflict resolution. UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security is therefore very important.

As a follow-up action, the Secretary-General produced a report in October last year. This report presents a broad plan of action.

The Government is to produce a Norwegian plan for following up this resolution and we have embarked on a study of the role of the Armed Forces in this area. Ensuring awareness of the role of women in the societies in which our forces will be operating will form a natural part of our pre-deployment preparations.

This is one of the reasons why it is important to focus on the role of women in the Armed Forces. Today the proportion of women in the services is unfortunately only about seven percent. This is a low figure compared with other areas of society. From this year onwards we will be inviting young women to attend a voluntary interview session. I expect this to increase women’s knowledge of life and conditions in the Armed Forces and that, as a result, more will decide to join the team.

The reason I am concerned with this is that a higher proportion of women in the services will in itself contribute to a better defence organisation. For the same reason, therefore, we will be focusing especially on achieving a higher proportion of women in senior defence posts.

NATO

In Dagbladet, just after Christmas, Halvor Alvik raised the question of NATO and how Norwegian security policy could remain firmly in position when the cornerstone itself was moving. This is an important question, for membership of this Alliance does form the cornerstone of Norwegian security policy.

For the Alliance to remain strong and relevant, it must develop further. And we cannot take it for granted that other NATO members see the Alliance exactly as we do. Europe and the United States do not always share identical views.

As a member country we have to bear our share of responsibility for ensuring that NATO develops in a direction which we approve of and which benefits our interests.

It is in our interest that NATO should develop its potential as a forum for political consultation. The need to strengthen this function is pressing bearing in mind the substantial enlargement of the Alliance in recent years and its new military roles.

In an alliance context, the transatlantic relationship is of paramount importance. Norway will continue to foster its good relationship with the United States. At the same time, it is good that friends should speak their minds to each other. The Government will therefore continue to make Norway’s standpoint clear in cases where American views do not coincide with our own.

It is also in Norway’s interest that NATO should remain powerful and effective as a military organisation.

It is precisely this military dimension that make the Alliance unique. The integrated command structure, the transatlantic military cooperation and the capability to carry out demanding military operations are all aspects of the Alliance that we will back to the full.

NATO’s operation in Afghanistan, ISAF, will be the Alliance’s most difficult single operation so far.

I visited the Norwegian forces in Afghanistan just before Christmas. I was impressed both by NATO’s committed involvement and by the job that the Norwegian forces were doing. The ISAF operation in Afghanistan is a clear indication that NATO is matching up to its new role.

ISAF will remain Norway’s most important military commitment abroad for a long time to come. The operation has a clear UN mandate and is being led by NATO. The work being done by Norwegian soldiers and their officers has at its focus both the stabilisation of society and the reforms needed in the security sector. In this way they are contributing to the promotion of human rights in that country.

I am therefore satisfied with the decision, taken by NATO before Christmas, to increase its involvement in Afghanistan. The operational forces are being strengthened, taking the total numbers from 9,000 up to 15,000, and the area of operations is being geographically extended in the south of the country. This increase is not excessive in view of the tasks which we know NATO is facing.

The focus of Norway’s participation Afghanistan in 2006 will gradually shift from Kabul to northern Afghanistan. Norway is currently the lead nation for the multinational regional stabilisation team in Maymaneh, and over the early months of this year we shall be building up our forces in Mazar-e-Sharif. In addition to support and staff elements, Norway will contribute a rapid reaction force at company strength. This means that Norway will be playing a central role in ISAF’s overall operations in northern Afghanistan.

Norway will also be contributing four F-16 combat aircraft for a period of three months. These aircraft will operate out of Kabul but will be able to provide support. The aircraft are of decisive importance to the successful conduct of ISAF’s operations. They help NATO’s ground forces to gain the respect of local warlords and show the population that they can rely of NATO’s protection.

The aircraft also do much to ensure the safety of our men and women in uniform on the ground who are dispersed over wide geographical areas.

In Afghanistan military power is an indispensable asset, but one which is totally inadequate on its own. The security that we are helping to provide is absolutely essential to the building of even the most elementary social structures.

The Government has set in motion coordinated action by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Police, and the Ministry of Defence in order to unify Norway’s contribution, the point being to make sure that aid work and the work of military stabilisation are seen as parallel and complementary activities. Security and the general development of society are mutually dependent on one another.

When the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mohamed El Baradei, gave his address just a short distance from here last month, he expressed disappointment over world developments since the end of the Cold War: the world had not seen an increase in solidarity and inclusiveness. El Baradei maintained that even though the wall between East and West had fallen, the work of building bridges between North and South – between rich and poor – still remains.

The state of the global community therefore calls for a broad approach. The challenges we face need to be seen in an overall perspective in which all our resources, in addition to military force, must be put to use.

The European Union

Norway’s closest neighbours are European. We want to continue to work with the EU.

The work of unifying European defence and security policy is developing rapidly despite the fact that the proposals for a European constitution have not been ratified. But, in fact, the current arrangements are working well. The development of rapid reaction forces and the establishment of the European Defence Agency (EDA) are evidence of this.

The EU has a broad spectrum of resources that can be brought into play in the cause of peace and security, both in Europe and globally. The combination of economic, political and military instruments available allows the EU’s rapid reaction forces to be put into an overall context.

The EU’s intention is that its rapid reaction forces should enhance the crisis management capability of the UN. Africa is an area where this effect could be realised. Norway is taking part in the planning and build-up of the Nordic Rapid Reaction Force. This work is being led by Sweden with Finland and Estonia also participating.

It is of paramount important for Norway that the collaboration which has been established between the EU and NATO should remain both open and constructive.

But the Norwegian Armed Forces’ principal raison d’être is not just to take part in operations abroad. It is also quite clear that we should devote most resources to defence activities here at home.

The Armed Forces’ role in the North

The Government sees the northern areas as the most strategically important area for Norwegian investment in the coming years. The challenges we face in the North are largely non-military in nature. Mainly they are about oil and gas extraction, transport, the environment and the proper husbanding of important marine resources.

But in these areas the Armed Forces still have a central role to play, both in a security context and through their presence as a part of the community. The Armed Forces are also of pivotal importance to the upholding of Norwegian sovereignty and the credible exercise of authority, as well as in creating respect for Norwegian policies and the provisions of international laws and regulations.

Our defence capability in the North comprises three main elements.

Firstly, command and control functions. The command and control of military forces requires both comprehensive professional competence and the necessary infrastructure. Regional Command North Norway bears the main responsibility for command and control of the Armed Forces’ operations in the North and is specifically structured for this purpose.

Secondly, the Armed Forces are well qualified and equipped to monitor our areas of interest. Our surveillance covers both Norwegian territory and sea areas round the clock – 365 days a year. And it is salutary to remember that the sea areas that we are monitoring cover an area more than six times that of mainland Norway. The surveillance makes use of satellites, aircraft, helicopters and ships, both on the surface and under water, as well as land-based installations.

And thirdly, we have units which can be deployed over large distances and which can maintain a presence over time. Our reaction capability is good.

This is the case with the Coast Guard for example. The incident involving the Russian trawler Elektron in the autumn showed that our service personnel are well equipped for their tasks and that they have the relevant competence and expertise.

Our service units can be employed in a broad spectrum of situations – and at very short notice. The Air Force’s combat aircraft require only minutes to reach any part of our territory should the need arise.

In sum, the Norwegian Armed Forces now possess a credible reaction capability and have the capacity to carry out the tasks with which they are entrusted.

The Government will continue to develop the Armed Forces in the light of the general level of activity in the North. Contact points between the military and civil society, both public sector and non-governmental, are many and varied. Coastal emergency planning and response, the Coast Guard, the Home Guard and the rescue services are functions in which the Armed Forces have a central contribution to make.

However, presence and credibility are not measured simply in terms of numbers of ships, aircraft or soldiers. We place the emphasis on the capabilities of these units – what they can actually do.

For the northern areas these are positive developments. With our modern systems we are able to carry out a far greater range of missions than in the past.

The surveillance systems have been improved. We have also brought into service Coast Guard vessels with significantly better seaworthiness and improved capabilities for towing, search and rescue, and environmental protection. New helicopters, with a substantially greater load-carrying capacity and extended range, further enhance the overall capability. The Norwegian Navy’s new frigates will also be equipped for a far greater range of missions than their predecessors.

Overall, the capability of our military forces has increased significantly.

Nor is our military presence to be measured simply in terms of the number of static bases and defence installations. The important thing is that our forces should be flexible. In other words that they are where they are needed, at the right time, with the right equipment and with personnel who can accomplish their missions in a professional manner.

Our bases serve first and foremost as departure points for the Armed Forces’ operations. It is our capacity to react to incidents and crises that is a true measure of the quality of our defence capability.

In the continuing development of the Armed Forces we must therefore give priority to operational defence capability rather than to the actual number of bases. A certain degree of concentration of our military activities is essential to the balanced development of the Armed Forces and the maintenance of an effective presence in the North.

But even with this degree of concentration we can still pursue this development in a way that gives relative priority to the northern areas.

Some have raised the question of what this sharper focus on the North entails. Our military presence there does not mean either militarisation or confrontation.

Norway will follow a policy of cooperation reflecting the fact that, in most areas, we share common interests with our northern neighbours. Our service personnel will all do their best to be good ambassadors for Norway.

Further defence restructuring and modernisation

Until now I have focused on operations abroad and on the northern areas as two important elements of Norway’s defence and security policy.

The Armed Forces’ flexibility must extend to include operations both at home and abroad. In both contexts we have to be robust with respect to the wide variety of possible scenarios and we must be able to manage whatever future challenges we may face, even those that are difficult to predict.

In the main, therefore, the Government intends to hold to the present course with regard to the modernisation of the Armed Forces. We wish to maintain the momentum of the restructuring as endorsed by a broad majority in the Storting.

Modern Armed Forces demands much of those who they employ. They call for great determination, good communication skills and flexibility. A high degree of competence and professional skill is also essential.

We need to ensure that the armed services are better able to recognise and make use of competence acquired through service both at home and abroad. The new Junior Officer scheme should make us better equipped to lead our units during demanding operations. It will enhance both the safety of personnel and our ability to accomplish our missions.

The Armed Forces should reflect the nature of Norwegian society as a whole. That means including and making full use of the diversity and varied skills of Norwegian citizens from minority backgrounds.

I want to see the Armed Forces setting an example of integrity and espousing a culture in which everyone is conscious of their role as responsible members of society. It is my impression that servicemen and women do possess these qualities. Nevertheless in 2005 the Armed Forces have attracted a good deal of adverse attention in the media.

I take this challenge with regard to our reputation, organisational culture and ethics very seriously. I have therefore taken an initiative to produce a plan of action to give added weight to the work on attitudes and leadership. The restructuring process only increases the importance of this work.

The settings for this work include the instruction and training given by our military schools and colleges, leadership training and, not least, the day-to-day dialogue that we have with the service spokesmen and managers at different levels.

Similarly the dialogue with national servicemen, defence employees and their organisations also plays an important part here. Their contributions are always constructive even though they may at times be critical.

The Bondevik II government did much to follow up the work of creating a balance between defence tasks, structure and resources that was initiated by the Stoltenberg I administration.

Thus the defence organisation has already undergone very substantial modernisation. The Armed Forces are now better able to accomplish the tasks with which they are entrusted. The essential challenge remaining is to ensure that a lasting and sustainable balance is achieved.

The Government now wants to move quickly to bring order to all aspects of financial control relating to the Armed Forces. Continuing adverse comment on our defence finances is harmful to our reputation. But the most important point is that orderly finances are an essential precondition for choosing the right way ahead in the continuing process of modernisation of the Armed Forces.

The defence accounts will have been prepared towards the end of January. We have grounds for believing that we are on the right track with regard to the quality of the accounts and of the financial control arrangements in general.

We will also be studying the experience gained in relation to privatisation, tendering and horizontal trading. Surely it cannot be right that military vehicles are left to stand outside their own garages because the rent for these is too high.

It seems to me that there two main tracks to be followed in the work of carrying forward the long-term development of the Armed Forces.

The first of these tracks involves implementation of the restructuring already approved for the period until 2008, with the emphasis on savings in the area of non-operational activity.

We have had a broad consensus for this in the Storting – a consensus that I shall strive to maintain.

The second track involves carrying on the fundamental work, both political and military in parallel, of ensuring a unified course of development for the Armed Forces beyond the present planning period. I shall be putting a separate Proposition before the Storting in spring 2008.

An important basis for this Proposition will be a new Defence Study. The Chief of Defence is a key member of the integrated Ministry of Defence. Among his responsibilities is that of providing independent professional advice on unified solutions for the future. To this end he has recently embarked on his Defence Study 2007.

In addition to the recommendations made by the Chief of Defence, we will engage in a broad and inclusive political process in preparation for the next Long-Term Plan. It is important to ensure legitimacy and broad backing for the course marked out for Norwegian Defence post 2008.

It is the Government that bears political responsibility for the development of the Armed Forces. We will seek a balance between the various views when we put proposals for the long-term course of development before the Storting. We are prepared for the major challenges that we shall be facing.

In questions of investment we will keep an open mind with regard to collaboration with allies. This approach can reduce costs both in procurement and in subsequent operation and maintenance.

We will give due weight to collaboration with those countries with whom we have traditionally had the closest cooperation in the past. This means primarily with Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In this respect, a future investment in combat aircraft is likely to pose the greatest challenge in this area in the coming years. I would stress that we have not yet made a decision as to the final choice of aircraft. We have requested information from four potential suppliers (Joint Strike Fighter, Eurofighter, Rafale and JAS Gripen).

The Armed Forces’ operational needs will remain central. The Government will also give due weight to our overall policy which includes taking into account the interests of Norwegian industry. Our aim is to find the solution which is best for the country as well as from the point of view of Norwegian defence and security.

Conclusion

My first almost 100 days in office as Defence Minister have been an inspiration to me and it is with pleasure that I look forward to continuing my work.

In order to promote security we must come to terms with uncertainty and have the courage to face uncertain situations. Norwegian military personnel have that courage and their team spirit is strong. Not only do our personnel take good care of themselves but they are equally determined to ensure the safety of their comrades. They look after each other.

I have seen for myself that our servicemen and women set their sights higher than on their own interests alone. They are very much aware that the Armed Forces represent a positive force for the good of society, both in the short and the long terms – and both at home and abroad.

I would also like to take advantage of this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all of you who in previous years, through your professional careers and through your backing and involvement, have contributed towards keeping an interest in defence matters alive and well in the minds of the Norwegian people.

Involvement, knowledge and dialogue in many different forums will be necessary as this process of development continues. In the future, too, our Armed Forces must not only be capable of accomplishing their missions, but must also remain securely rooted in Norwegian society.

It is of the greatest possible importance that our Armed Forces continue to enjoy the confidence and trust of the Norwegian people. That is why we attach so much weight to openness. There are many who have important contributions to make. As Defence Minister, I will do my very best to build on, and make full use of, the potential opportunities that lie in a broad and open dialogue.

For the first time in many years, Norway now has a majority government. This gives us new opportunities. Not only to alter the content of our policies but also to change the shape of politics in Norway. I will do whatever I can to create a good and cooperative relationship with those in the Armed Forces at every level, their spokesmen and their leaders, as well as with mayors and local authorities.

Our political and military leadership stand united in facing and meeting these challenges.

United, we can create the flexible defence that this country needs in today’s world, so enabling every member of the Armed Forces and all who work in the defence organisation, to continue to make their vital contributions, every day, every month throughout the year, to the common cause of defence and security.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your attention.