Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Norwegian Embassy! ??

Looking for some holiday cheer this December? The annual Norwegian Christmas Tree Lighting will soon return to Union Station! On Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00 pm, a consortium of partners (The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, NorCham Washington DC, Washington Performing Arts, and Union Station, Washington D.C.) will present the annual Norwegian Christmas tree. This year’s performance line-up – co-presented by Mars Arts D.C. and the Royal Norwegian Embassy – will feature rising Norwegian indie pop star Anna Lille. It will also include performances by Roz White and Brad Linde, as well as a special visit from Santa. Mark your calendars and join us for a festive start to the holiday season!

Glad to be a participant in #TeamNorway’s Annual Strategy Meeting in New York today! This event brings key partners together so that we can discuss our 2025 priorities, which helps us ensure strong and effective cooperation for the year ahead. The U.S., of course, is Norway’s most important ally, as well as a crucial partner in security, defense, trade, innovation, and investment. Norwegian businesses continue to thrive in the U.S. market, and we want to keep building these relationships. We also remain excited about energy, green technology advancements, and seafood, to name just a few areas. My thanks to the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco, Innovation Norway, H?kon Haugli, the Norwegian Seafood Council, Anne-Kristine ?en, Eksfin - Export Finance Norway, Olav Einar Rygg, Norwegian Energy Partners (NORWEP), Andy Geissbuehler, The Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., and NorCham USA.

We were pleased to receive Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, this week in Washington, D.C. His schedule included a bilateral meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, at which he thanked the Biden administration for their close cooperation with Norway. He also met with think tanks and analysts. Finally, he made time for a meeting with Embassy staff, as well as interviews with Norwegian and American media. Today, the Minister continues his North American journey with a stop at the Halifax International Security Forum.

It was a pleasure to meet U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro earlier this week! We had an excellent discussion on the strong relationship between our two countries, as well as our many areas of cooperation (including security, defense, and maritime). Thank you!

SWITCH Maritime LLC, a U.S. company, is building a hydrogen ferry modeled after the Norway's MF Hydra (the world's first liquid-hydrogen-powered ferry), with help from Norwegian companies DNV, LH2 Shipping, and LMG Marin AS. Very exciting news!

1,000 days of Russia bombing Ukrainian cities and towns. 1,000 days of Russia failing to achieve its strategic goals. 1,000 days of #Ukraine's heroic fight for freedom and survival. 1,000 days of support for global peace and stability. #Norway continues to #StandWithUkraine.

Back in 1900, Chicago had the third-largest Norwegian population in the world, with approximately 100,000 Norwegians in it. I was honored to visit this great city last week – here are some highlights! ? ?? Norway has highly skilled honorary consuls who do important work for us in the U.S. In Chicago, we have the fabulous Susan Meyer.?Her family's roots are from Grimstad, Norway. I enjoyed catching up with her! ??? It was also a privilege to honor Richard Lumpp, aged 101, who is the last surviving member of the Norwegian-speaking battalion that fought in fierce battles during the last 101 days of the war.?We are so thankful for their service. ?? A few years after the Gokstad ship (a 9th-century Viking ship unearthed in 1880) was found, Norwegians built a replica and sailed it to Chicago. About 27 million people in total saw the ship, and it became a sensation. Now, a group of enthusiasts is working to build a museum for this replica. Chicago continues to hold a strong connection to Norwegian culture and history.?A truly exciting project!

On November 10, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Royal Norwegian Air Force,?the Norwegian delegation at the F-35 Joint Program Office hosted a reception for the multinational team. From the Embassy, Ambassador Huitfeldt and Defense Attaché Sandquist both attended. The Ambassador gave brief remarks, as did the Program Executive Officer U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Schmidt. Thank you for a great event!

Did you know? ?? Norway has the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund: The Government Pension?Fund Global (1.8 trillion USD)??? ?? Over 50% of that is invested in the US!??? ?? The fund owns 1.5% of all listed companies globally!??? ? ?? The Embassy and the Peterson Institute for International Economics had the pleasure of welcoming Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norwegian Bank Investment Management (NBIM), to a reception and fireside chat with Andy Posen. ?? They dove into how the fund is organized and how Norges Bank prioritizes its investments. ? Thank you for your visit! #SovereignWealthFund #NBIM #Norway #NorgesBank #NicolaiTangen