Secretary General attends Norwegian Veterans' Day commemoration
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen joined King Harald V, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other top officials in marking Norwegian Veterans' and Liberation Day in Oslo on Wednesday (8 May 2013). “We are gathered to show our sincere gratitude and respect for the Norwegian men and women who have worn Norwegian defence uniforms,” said the Secretary General.
Mr. Fogh Rasmussen attended a wreath laying ceremony at the national monument at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. In an address during the ceremony, the Secretary General expressed the Alliance’s appreciation for Norway’s contribution to NATO operations over the years. “For more than 60 years Norway together with its NATO Allies secured freedom, peace and prosperity in Europe and North America. This freedom is priceless and cannot be taken for granted. It requires continued unity and cooperation,” he said.
During his visit the Secretary General met with Prime Minister Stoltenberg and had an audience with King Harald V. He also met with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen, the President of the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting, Dag Terje Andersen and members of the Norwegian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
The Secretary General’s two-day visit also includes a keynote speech at the National Conference on Europe, hosted by the University of Oslo. On Tuesday Mr. Fogh Rasmussen visited the Norwegian Armed Forces operational command centre in Bodø and saw a demonstration of Norwegian F-16 fighter jets.