The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year. With all the lights, music, events, and time spent with family and friends, the holidays bring out the best in people.
For me as an ambassador, it is also a time to take a look in the rearview mirror. The year that we are about to put behind us has been a busy one at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
We ask ourselves, have I and the rest of the staff contributed to our mandate of reinforcing the already strong ties between Norway and the United States?
I believe that we have, in many ways.
The United States remains Norway’s most important ally. A main objective for me has been to secure good lines of communication as new people have entered government offices. Transatlantic and global security, trade, and business development have all been at the top of the agenda.
Our meetings throughout the year with the new administration have been very fruitful, suggesting that the partnership will continue for a long time.
Relations between countries often boils down to dialogue between individuals. This has been an excellent year for dialogue between American and Norwegian officials, as official visits between our countries were at or near all-time highs.
Members of the U.S. Congress have been coming to Norway in unprecedented numbers this year. To me, this indicates a keen interest in learning about Norway and the Nordic way of life.
The interest, of course, goes both ways. Numerous Norwegian Members of Parliament, government ministers, high-ranking military officers and other officials have visited Washington and other parts of the country this year. They come to share information. And to listen to American perspectives.
It’s all about communication. We need to get to know each other. Only then can we understand each other. Only then, can we decide on shared goals and discuss how to achieve them together.
An important part of my work is to talk to people, and to make myself available for people to talk to me. To that end, we hosted several thousand guests at my residence on Massachusetts Avenue NW this year. Politicians, political advisers, businesspeople, students, and leading thinkers – they all came to celebrate or discuss topics ranging from transatlantic security to international human rights to girls’ education.
Not all communication has to be face-to-face. This blog is another communication tool I like. It gives me the opportunity to reach people all around the world at the press of a button. I’ve written about all of the abovementioned issues and many more this past year, and plan to continue blogging for the foreseeable future. This is in addition to my Twitter account, and the embassy’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. And the embassy’s website, of course – you can always visit us at www.norway.no/usa.
Technology keeps increasing the number of ways we can communicate with each other. And the great thing is, the communication goes both ways. For example, this year, the other Nordic ambassadors and I came together on two occasions for joint Nordic Twitter Town Hall events, where we responded to queries from people from all over. We fielded questions about Nordic life and politics with a focus on global security and equality/human rights, respectively. Take a look at our conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #AskNordicAMBs.
I have also enjoyed connecting with students all over the country, either directly or through what we call the Virtual Ambassador Program – a live outreach and interaction through Skype. On numerous occasions throughout the year, I have talked directly to students about various aspects of international affairs.
I have also travelled the country to talk about a recent embassy report, Norway Creates Jobs in the United States. The report documents how Norwegian companies operating in the United States, coupled with direct Norwegian investments, support almost a half million American jobs. That includes jobs in every single state, across a wide range of industries. Norway creates US jobs in the oil and gas industry, in the maritime sector, in green energy, in architecture and design, and many more.
The United States, of course, creates jobs in Norway as well, and invests in our country. It is truly a two-way relationship.
This strong two-way relationship will be, amongst other things, on the agenda when President Donald Trump hosts Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg in Washington, D.C. on January 10 for their first official bilateral meeting at the White House. This will be President Trump’s first visit by a foreign head of government in 2018.
The Embassy and I look forward to welcoming the Prime Minister for what will be an important start to the New Year.
The embassy staff and I will continue to do our part in facilitating these relations now and in the years to come.
Here’s wishing all of you a peaceful and prosperous New Year!