Offisielt besøk til Japan: Seminar om sikkerhetspolitikk og forsvarssamarbeid

Excellencies,
Distinguished audience,

“This is our cry, this is our prayer:
to build a world of peace.”

Many of you will recognise these words that are inscribed on the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima. The monument was completed in 1958 and pays tribute to Sadako Sasaki – a young victim of the atomic bombing – and to all the children affected by the tragedy.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting representatives of the organisation Nihon Hidankyо, whom I first met in Oslo in 2024 when they received the Nobel Peace Prize. It was a great honour to speak with Mr Terumi Tanaka again. His story as a survivor of the atomic bombing is truly remarkable.

Hearing their testimonies first-hand is deeply moving. Their stories are a reminder to us all that the ultimate goal of our efforts must always be peace.

Distinguished audience,

In our efforts to achieve a more peaceful world, partnerships between like-minded democracies such as Japan and Norway are of vital importance. We must stand together to defend the values that our democracies are built upon: freedom and the rule of law.

And we must continue to believe in the value of respectful international cooperation.

Our countries, though different in size, depend on one another. Together, we can achieve far more than we can on our own.

In recent years, the ties between our two countries have grown stronger. For example, a strategic partnership was established in 2023, followed by a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation in 2024, and the recent addition of a permanent Norwegian defence presence in Tokyo.

I would also like to highlight the historic port call of the Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen in Tokyo in August 2025. It was the first-ever visit of a Norwegian naval vessel to Japan – and it marked a significant milestone in our countries’ security cooperation.

The frigate’s deployment was part of Operation Highmast, a four-month mission across the Indo-Pacific to demonstrate NATO’s presence in the region and enhance maritime cooperation between Japan, Norway and the UK. Three countries – all committed to global and regional stability.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Japan and Norway share a common understanding of the importance of strengthening economic resilience to safeguard national security. This presents a good opportunity to further strengthen the bilateral ties between our two countries.

Norway has expertise in the maritime and energy sectors, and in-depth insight into the Arctic – while Japan has unique know-how in the areas of defence and advanced technologies, and valuable knowledge of East Asia as a region. I hope this seminar will highlight these strengths and open up new opportunities of cooperation.

Distinguished audience,
Partners and friends,

Europe is currently contending with the most serious security situation it has faced in decades. Russia’s war on Ukraine is about more than Ukraine. It poses a direct threat to us all, and challenges the very principles that underpin our peace:

Sovereignty, the rule of law, and collective security.

Ukraine needs all the support we can provide. Japan and Norway stand firmly united in supporting Ukraine and its fight for freedom.

In closing, I would like to return to the story of Sadako Sasaki and the powerful message inscribed on the children’s monument, which urges us to strive for peace. Let us keep her in our hearts and minds as we do what is necessary to protect our values, our countries and our regions.

Thank you.