Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is currently on an official visit to the United States to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between Norway and the US. After two days in New York, the Norwegian Crown Prince is now in Washington D.C. where his day started with a seminar on the Arctic, part of a number of events that will take place at the Norwegian Embassy in the future entitled “Arctic Winter”.
For Norway, the Arctic areas are vitally important, not least because large parts of the country are located north of the Arctic Circle. Almost a tenth of Norway’s population lives north of the Arctic Circle. In total, over 4 million people live in the Arctic part of the world. The Crown Prince gave an introductory speech at the seminar, and then the Secretary of State held a conversation with Republican Alaska Senator Murkowski and Democratic Maine Senator King.
During his speech, His Royal Highness said: “The Arctic is beautiful and vulnerable. It is full of resources and it is a rough area. It is also the centre of attention for trade and security policy. Our northernmost societies are first-hand witnesses to the dramatic consequences of climate change. Glaciers are melting, and air and water temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else in the world”.
The Royal Norwegian embassy in Washington also arranged a lunch with representatives from the Norwegian and American authorities and the business community where the theme was the conservation of the world’s rainforest. The purpose of the lunch was to highlight Norway and the United States’ close cooperation in protecting the rainforest.
Later that day, the Crown Prince met the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, together with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Norway’s Ambassador to the United States. Nancy Pelosi has represented her San Francisco constituency in the House of Representatives for 33 years. The Crown Prince last met Speaker Pelosi during the virtual official visit to San Francisco in April 2021. The discussion at the time was about the possibilities for expanded cooperation in renewable energy and sustainable solutions associated with the green shift in California.
The Crown Prince’s visit to the United States will end on December 9th 2021 in Washington DC. During the meeting with Nancy Pelosi, Crown Prince Haakon said: “The United States is Norway’s most important ally and partner. Our common values and interests have given us a strong foundation for a long-term and successful collaboration”.
