China and Norway to resume the political jack – VG

The six years long and cold front between Norway and China is over. Now, the relationship returns to normal, ” prime minister Erna Solberg.

– On the basis of a joint declaration establishes the we from today, the full normalization of our political and diplomatic relations with China, says Erna Solberg in a statement to Parliament.

Norway has not had political contact with China since 2010, when the Nobel peace prize went to Liu Xiaobo, and there was a huge uproar and isfront in Norway’s relations with China.

– This has been challenging for us in many international contexts, and many individual cases. It has also been difficult for the Norwegian business sector. The fact that we have been able to normalize our relationship is a result of a long-term and laborious diplomatic work on many levels to restore the trust between our two countries, ” says Solberg.

- Opens large opportunities

- Now we will look ahead at the opportunities that open up for cooperation with China, ” emphasizes the prime minister.

Countries will resume negotiations on frihandelsavtale, the enlightened ministry of Foreign affairs in the morning. The shares of the major Norwegian sjømatselskapene reacted immediately after the news became known.

- It opens large opportunities for the Norwegian business sector, who have experienced that not having dragkraft from political cooperation, has been a barrier, ” says Solberg.

Foreign minister Børge Brende is in Beijing and has had meetings with China’s foreign minister and prime minister.

– the Situation since 2010 has been challenging. The normalisation of our relationship is a result of a long-term and laborious diplomatic work on many levels to restore the trust between our two countries, says foreign minister Børge Brende (H), which is located in Beijing.

Full normalization

– ” ever since the government took over in the autumn of 2013 a normalization of our relationship with China figured prominently. Our a joint statement with China today is a tangible confirmation that we fully normalize our relationship and that we have agreed on important steps forward in our bilateral relationship. We have through our conversations laid the foundation for a broad collaboration to the benefit of both countries, says foreign minister Brende.

Norway’s foreign minister Børge Brende during a visit at the Maidan square in the Ukraine in 2014.

Photo: Gisle Oddstad, VG

In the talks with the chinese government in Beijing no later than Monday, Burnt, besides the free trade agreements also taken up themes that a full normalization of the Norwegian export to China and professional collaborate, among other things, climate and the Arctic.

Political visit

– A cooperation with China is also important in multilateral contexts. China is an indispensable partner when to find common solutions to international challenges such as climate change and poverty, says Brende.

the foreign minister also enlightens that in 2017 to be set up to further political visit to China in the spring, including wide compound næringslivsdelegasjoner.

the Norwegian business sector has had problems for several years to obtain a visa to their employees, and a period after fredsprisutdelingen were also problems with the sale of Norwegian fish to China.