State visit from the Netherlands: Lunch greeting

Your Majesties
Ambassador
Minister
County Governor
Mayor
Ladies and gentlemen

The Crown Prince and I are very pleased to welcome you back here to Trondheim and Stiftsgården. I know you both have fond – and possibly a bit warmer – memories of the last time you were here.

On this third day of Your Majesties’ state visit to Norway, we are proud to introduce you once again to this important city – both an historic place and a key hub for our common future.

Trondheim was Norway’s first capital and has for centuries been an important city – both due to our medieval kings and religious life, and later as a place of learning and technology.

Today, Trondheim is the main location for Norway’s largest university, and a center for advanced research and development in areas like sustainability and maritime technology. These are areas we know are of common interest for the Netherlands and of Norway, and we need to continue and strengthen our good cooperation in these fields. The fact that you chose this location during your state visit just proves how important this is to you.

We are also incredibly proud of Trondheim being the host for the cutting edge neuro science done by the Moser group, who won the Nobel prize in medicine in 2014.

In Trondheim, a good idea can meet academia and applied science – before turning into a possible commercial reality. During the day we have met – and we will meet – several participants in different sustainable value chains, before we end the state visit in the Nidarosdomen.

We are incredible proud you chose Trondheim as a destination during your state visit here.

Now I am pleased to introduce the Mayor of Trondheim, Rita Ottervik. She is what we may call "a passionate trønder" and knows her city’s past and present better than most.

The floor is yours!