Ambassador's Speeches

I have just been told that you on this occasion would welcome my constructive, critical remarks to your Commission’s Report. But how can anyone expect a diplomat to be critical of anything? On the contrary, my intention is to congratulate you and if you do not mind compare you to the Viking God Odin. 更に読む

This year we are celebrating big time, in many ways and in many cultural centres of the world the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edvard Munch, Norway’s most famous artist. 更に読む

As the Arctic ice sheet is getting smaller and smaller, international interest in the Arctic is getting bigger and bigger. Climate change is making a new frontier accessible for petroleum activity in an energy hungry world and is opening new and shorter shipping lanes between Europe and Asia. For Norway the High North and Arctic is the most important area of strategic focus in the years ahead. 更に読む

With the factory that we are opening today up and running, it will certainly be a lot easier for quality conscious consumers in the Kansai region to get super fresh salmon from Marine Harvest. Now salmon can be flown directly from Norway on a one-way ticket into Osaka, where they are trimmed, packed and delivered to you only a few days after swimming and enjoying life and growing to perfection ... 更に読む

Faculty of International Communication, Gunma Prefectural Women’s University, Takasaki 更に読む

Embassy of Norway Tokyo, 7 December 2012 Welcoming remarks by Ambassador Arne Walther It is a great pleasure for me welcome you all, Todai Denpun and partners of Lerøy and from Norway Mr.  Knut Halvard and representatives Lerøy, the world’s second largest producer of salmon, to the Arctic Hall of the Embassy to celebrate the fifth anniversary of “Aurora Salmon”. Our celebration today comes a. 更に読む

“Welcome to an evening of Norwegian seafood delights. Yesterday, Prime Minister Stoltenberg discussed with Prime Minister Noda the state and potential of our excellent bilateral ties as well as the interests that we in Norway and Japan share in multilateral co-operation as responsible global citizens.And today, he addressed the broad and forward-looking Norway-Japan Business and Technology Forum.” 更に読む

Two weeks ago, an announcement was made in Oslo that immediately swept across the world as top news of the hour and day. To no surprise. This happens every year mid-October, before “momijigari” in Japan, when the Nobel Committee announces its choice of whom to honour with what I and many others regard as the most prestigious of international prizes - the Nobel Peace Prize. 更に読む

Enjoying contemporary Nordic cuisine today, I am happy that I did not live centuries ago, when the Nordic countries were poor and one could not be choosy about what one ate. If Nordic cuisine is better today than it has ever been, I am confident that it will be even better in the future with our resources and talent, and also with the inspiration and ideas from abroad, not least from Japan. 更に読む

“Eighty thousand Japanese tourists and business travellers visited Norway last year. So far this year, the number of Japanese visitors staying overnight in Norway has increased by 16% compared to last year. Not only are the Japanese tourists the best-behaved of all that visit our country. It gives us pride to see how interested they are in viewing our spectacular sights, acquainting themselves... 更に読む

 “What Makes Criminal Justice Sustainable” A Norwegian-Japanese Dialogue Organized by Aoyama Gakuin University and the Embassy of Norway Tokyo, 1 June 2012 President Semba, Former Ministers of Justice of Norway and Japan, Sugiura, Hiraoka and Storberget, Governor Richardson, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to make some introductory remarks welcoming you all to our Norway-Japan dialogu 更に読む

Let me highlight some of our activities in the year that has passed peep a little into the year ahead, having especially in mind events where we again can interact to mutual benefit. Support to business, industry and trade is such an important part of our work to strengthen relations and cooperation between Norway and Japan. 更に読む

Minister Giske, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a pleasure for me to welcome you all to the Arctic Hall of the Embassy. For an exchange of views on the importance of international cooperation in science and technology. We need such exchanges across the board of human activity. They are especially important in relation to the paradigm shift in the Japanese energy system that we see coming in the wak... 更に読む

Minister Giske and Deputy Minister Gramstad, Deputy Director General Miyahara and President Shirasu, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is an honour and pleasure for me, on behalf of the organisers of this seminar on utilization of marine resources, to welcome you all to Miraikan for a day of exchanging views and forging partnerships in an important field of activity and, indeed, a longstanding one in... 更に読む

Minister Giske, Members of the Norwegian Industry Forum, Ladies and Gentlemen It is an honour and pleasure to welcome you all to the Norwegian Embassy’s Arctic Hall. A special welcome to Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Trond Giske and his delegation. On a timely visit to Japan to revitalize commercial relations between our two countries. A visit that very importantly and most... 更に読む

Seminar by the Norwegian Seafood Council at the Embassy of Norway, Tokyo, 21 March 2012. 更に読む

Climate change and the melting of ice in the Arctic are making a new frontier accessible for petroleum activity in an energy-hungry world. Norway is centre stage in Arctic developments with rights and responsibilities under international law as an Arctic Ocean coastal state. 更に読む

“Norway is an island of peace and prosperity with a triple-A rating as a country. Triple-A rated Kommunalbanken, entirely state-owned, provides low-cost funding to Norwegian municipalities facilitating public sector services in Norway’s welfare state.....” 更に読む

“A true Japanese “bonenkai” is a party that takes place at the end of the year among colleagues and friends to forget the woes and troubles of the past year, sometimes best done by drinking huge amounts of alcohol. The woes and troubles that normally are on a business as usual “bonenkai” agenda and that easily can be forgotten, are dwarfed by this year’s national sorrow”. 更に読む

“Only one life” is a film about a Norwegian, who had many lives. Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian hero, explorer, scientist, humanist, internationalist and diplomat. And not least, the first High Commissioner for Refugees of the League of Nations. It takes a lot of ambition and courage for a person to attempt to put all of these lives into one. And it takes a lot of merit to live them all with su... 更に読む