OSLO, Norway
The Norwegian Royal Family are
hosting the President
of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Hassan, on a State Visit to
Norway on February 13 and 14, to celebrate and build diplomatic,
economic, and cultural ties.President Samia Suluhu Hassan laid a wreath at the national monument at Akershus Fortress. COURTESY
Their Majesties King Harald
and Queen Sonja are the hosts of the visit, and welcomed the President to
Norway in a formal ceremony at the Royal Palace.
The visit marks the 60th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Norway and
Tanzania.
This is the first Tanzanian
state visit to Norway since 1976 when President Julius Nyerere was welcomed by
King Olav at the Royal Palace Square. In 2007, King Harald granted President
Jakaya Kikwete an audience at the Royal Palace during an official visit to
Norway.King Harald greets President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the Upper Vestibule at the Royal Palace. Crown Prince Haakon accompanied the President. COURTESY
The visit began with a formal
ceremony in the Great Hall at the Royal Palace Tuesday morning. The national
anthems of both countries were sung, and then President Hassan was
introduced to representatives of official institutions in Norway.
Official photographs were
taken in the Bird Room, which was followed by an exchange of gifts in the White
Parlour.
It is a tradition for visiting
heads of state to lay a wreath at the national monument at Akershus Fortress,
and the President of the United Republic of Tanzania paid tribute to Norwegians
who lost their lives in the Second World War.
From Akershus Fortress, the
President went to the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, where she had a brief
meeting with its First Vice President, Mr Svein Harberg.Official photographs in the Bird Room: Princess Astrid, Queen Sonja, President Samia Hassan, King Harald, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon. COURTESY
During the afternoon, Crown
Prince Haakon and President Hassan attended a Norwegian –
Tanzanian Business Forum at Næringslivets Hus in Oslo.
Tanzania has one of Africa's
fastest growing economies, and and Norwegian technology and expertise are in
demand.
For many years, the country
has been one of Norway's most important partner countries in development
cooperation, but the cooperation has changed and renewed in line with
Tanzania's development.
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