“Canada and Norway have excellent bilateral relations and are close allies within NATO. We are also important trade partners and stand united in the fight to uphold democracy and human rights,” said Olemic Thommessen, President of the Storting, after the meeting with his Canadian colleague on Monday 9^th January.

Invited to Norway by the President of the Storting, Mr Regan expressed great pleasure in being here.

“I was delighted to visit the historic Storting and meet President Olemic Thommessen and senior leaders of standing committees. ‎The seat of Norway's democracy is a gem in the heart of Oslo. It was enlightening to discuss the many ties that bind our two nations as we mark 75 years of cooperation and friendship,” he said. 

Partners in the Arctic

Collaboration in the Arctic region was an important topic of discussion, both for Mr Thommessen and for Eirik Sivertsen (Labour Party), the Chair of the Storting’s Delegation for Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation. The challenges to maritime security and good relations in the High North posed by global warming and the dramatic melting of Arctic ice were among the issues raised.

On Tuesday 10^th January Mr Regan met members of the Energy and the Environment Committee and the Business and Industry Committee. With the economies of both Norway and Canada fundamentally based on commodities, the responsible and innovative management of resources and efforts to meet international climate commitments are of great mutual importance. During their meeting with Mr Ryan, Ola Elvestuen (Liberal Party) and Marit Arnstad (Centre Party) expressed their wish to develop closer ties with Canada in international climate negotiations and technological development.

Trade and fish

For Gunnar Gundersen and Ove Trellevik, two of the Business and Industry Committee’s Conservative Party members, international trade and major trade agreements between North America and Europe were topics of significant interest. The opportunities and challenges facing Norway and Canada within aquaculture were also discussed.

In addition to visiting the Storting on Monday 9^th and Tuesday 10^th January, Mr Regan was also given an audience with HM King Harald V, and met Prime Minister Solberg and Vibeke Larsen, President of the Sami Parliament.