Visit to Poland: Signing ceremony of the EEA and Norway Grants 2021-2028

Ministers, Excellencies and friends,

Dzień dobry, good morning,

First of all, we are all saddened by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was loved and highly respected, and my compassion goes out to all Catholics in Poland and Norway.

It is a great pleasure to be here today, and to be back in Warsaw. I have been looking forward to this important meeting for our countries – at a key moment in our history. 

The ties between Poland and Norway go back a long way. A thousand years ago, Norwegian Vikings settled on the Baltic coast.

Later, we traded through the Hanseatic League, especially through the port cities of Bergen and Gdansk. Fortunately, the latter period was a bit more peaceful than the first.

Yesterday, I enjoyed visiting the Crane in Gdansk, a monumental symbol of our long-standing trade relations. Just imagine: hundreds of years ago, that impressive crane helped to unload shipments of Norwegian fish and timber.

Much later, brave Polish soldiers came to Norway’s aid during the battle of Narvik in the spring of 1940, where allied forces fought and died together.

My great-grandfather, King Haakon 7th, subsequently presented the Polish Podhale brigade with decorations as a token of our deep gratitude.

The Cold War separated us for several decades, but we rapidly renewed our friendship after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Today, the bonds between our countries are stronger than ever, and Poland is an important partner for Norway. Poles make up the largest immigrant group in Norway and play an important role in all walks of life – in virtually every Norwegian town and city.

Poland is Norway’s sixth largest export market for goods, and we have a strong energy partnership. The Baltic Pipe provides a significant share of Polish gas imports and Polish energy company Orlen is among the larger operators on the Norwegian continental shelf, and Equinor is active in developing renewables in Poland.

Today we are formally launching the fourth period ofthe EEA and Norway Grants scheme aimed at promoting a green, democratic and resilient Europe. The Grants support a wide array of interesting projects and valuable partnerships in numerous fields, and involve dozens of actors on both sides.

Many of you are here today, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work.

Among other things, your projects have helped to reduce CO2-emissions and strengthen cooperation in the business and innovation sectors. You have carried out research on cancer and advanced efforts to safeguard women’s rights.

In fact, the Grants also helped to fund the restoration of the Crane in Gdansk, as well as the former Arsenal building here – at the beautiful Ujazdowski Castle.

However, we cannot ignore the reality that today’s signing ceremony takes place against a bleak backdrop.

Russian aggression in Ukraine is putting pressure on Europe. Hostile actors are attempting to weaken our democracies and challenge our fundamental values. In response, we must redouble our common efforts to strengthen European resilience and safeguard democratic principles.

We have designated funds to strengthen civil society in Poland and to mitigate the impacts of the war in Ukraine.

Poland is one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, and plays a vital role in the collective European effort to support and stand in solidarity with Ukraine. The EEA and Norway Grants are excellent examples of European solidarity in practice, at a time when this solidarity is absolutely crucial. There is no freedom without solidarity.

Of course, our efforts to support Ukraine extend beyond the Grants. Poland and Norway are close Allies in NATO, and I am proud that Norway has directly contributed to strengthening Poland’s vital logistics hub by providing soldiers, NASAMS air defence systems, and F-35 fighter jets.

We have also worked together closely on medical evacuation from Ukraine. Our countries agree that Europe needs to invest in its defence and its democracies. Hence, there is certainly potential for further cooperation in the area of defence industry and materials.

We are facing many common challenges. But I believe that together with strong, reliable partners and friends such as Poland, our democratic way of life will prevail.

Let me conclude by congratulating all of you. I wish you every success in the new period of cooperation between partners from Poland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Gratulacje i powodzenia!