Towards the end of the visit, His Majesty King Harald expressed his own and the Queen’s gratitude for the warm welcome they had experienced in South Africa – unprecedented, he said. The State Visit, which started in Pretoria and came to an end in Cape Town, allowed the King and Queen of Norway to get reacquainted with South Africa 11 years after their last State Visit to the country, and to take home a wide variety of experiences and impressions.
These include a dignified welcome ceremony by President Zuma at the Union Buildings, a meeting with deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, as well as a warm welcome by a family in their home in Uitzig outside Cape Town. They were also able to enjoy performances by artists Mari Boine, Madosini and Abaqondisi Brothers, as well as by enthusiastic and talented youth from the Field Band Foundation at Freedom Park in Pretoria. They visited the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, and opened an exhibition at the National Gallery in Cape Town honouring the four South African Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former President F.W. de Klerk were present at the opening together with family representatives of Nelson Mandela and Albert Luthuli.
Several agreements were signed during the State Visit and there were ample opportunities for business representatives to bond during the many trade and investment seminars during the week. The State Visit marked a renewed effort to increase trade and investment between the two countries.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Mr Jonas Gahr Støre gave a key note address at a Foreign Policy Seminar at the University of Pretoria. The topic of his address was “States in Fragile Environments. Common engagement for conflict resolution and development” an issue where Norway and South Africa work closely together, especially on the African continent.
Ms Tora Aasland, Norwegian Minister for Education and Research, led a delegation focussing on strengthening research ties and cooperation on higher education between the two countries, and several seminars were held at the University of Cape Town and the University of Western Cape.
The successful State Visit lay the foundation for a continued vibrant and diverse relationship between South Africa and Norway in the years to come.