Luncheon in São Paulo

Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Dear host,

It is a pleasure for me to have this opportunity to visit São Paulo. Besides being one of the biggest cities in the world, it is also the economic centre of Brazil. This gives the city a strategic position in the world economy.

Good economic relations are important for a successful partnership between two countries. I am therefore glad to be here today with so many distinguished representatives of FIESP and the business communities of São Paulo and Norway. You are all in a position to expand the commercial co-operation between our two countries and thus help to strengthen relations between Brazil and Norway.

What has always linked our two countries together is the same that keeps us geographically apart, namely the ocean. For two centuries, fish from the clear Norwegian waters has been the most important export commodity from Norway to Brazil. Bacalhau da Noruega has become an important part of Brazilian cuisine. And for generations Norwegian vessels have docked at ports along the Brazilian coastline, serving Brazilian importers and exporters.

Many of these vessels have carried the world-famous Brazilian coffee. Café do Brasil is just as well known in Norway as Bacalhau da Noruega is in Brazil. Besides, Norwegians drink more coffee than most other people in the world. Average consumption is about 10 kilograms per person per year. Since about half of the coffee we drink is imported from Brazil, your country has contributed extensively to the wellbeing and joy of life in Norway.

One of the main objectives of this state visit is to further develop our bilateral trade relations. I am pleased to note that important goals have already been reached. New Brazilian investments in Norwegian industries have recently been made. At the same time Norwegian companies are showing an increasing interest in the opportunities that the Brazilian market offers. They recognise that Brazil is one of the biggest and most promising markets in the world. The fact that so many companies from so many different sectors are represented in the business delegation, testifies to this.

Some of these companies are already well established in Brazil. Others have less experience of this market. What they all have in common is the desire to further explore and develop mutually beneficial business ventures with Brazilian partners.

I feel confident that they have come to the right place to explore opportunities and establish business contacts. Developing business relations is of course the main purpose. But organisations like FIESP here in São Paulo, and its sister organisation in Norway, the Confederation of Business and Industry, also play an important role. They can serve as a link between businesses and provide meeting places for business people. This is what they are doing here today. They can facilitate, encourage and support, offer information and advice, and to some degree supplement the marketing activities of companies. Hence, the good relations these two organisations have established can lead to mutually beneficial business opportunities for both Brazilian and Norwegian companies.

This afternoon the Queen is participating in a tourist seminar organised by the Norwegian Tourist Board here in São Paulo. As you know, Brazil and Norway differ in terms of geography and climate. Norway is a country of deep fjords and high mountains, cold snowy winters and summers under the midnight sun. Brazil, on the other hand, is endowed with beautiful sunny beaches, vast areas of lush rainforest and wide rivers, and a vibrant culture. I believe that these sharp contrasts in geography, climate and culture offer great potential for increased tourism between our two countries.

Our shared ambitions, our common interests and our respective advantages should constitute a good basis for mutually beneficial co-operation between businesses in São Paulo and Norway. I hope the conference and the seminars earlier today will help to enhance relations between our countries. I am confident that our co-operation will continue to expand, to the benefit of our economies, our societies and the people of Brazil and Norway.

Thank you.