ISSN 0804-709X
www.norwaves.com
NORINFORM - Weekly Edition
Produced by NORINFORM, Norwegian Information Service,
P.O. Box 241 Sentrum, N-0103 Oslo, Norway
Tel (47) 22 11 46 85, Fax (47) 22 42 48 87
Editors: Ragnvald Berggrav, Helge Loland
The NORINFORM press office was established by The Norwegian
Information Council and provides overseas news services in
several languages, daily (in English only) and weekly.
NORINFORM also produces the monthly magazine Norway Now and a
fulltext database containing bulletins and articles about
Norway.
Information from Norinform is complimentary. Reproduction
permitted. Please mention source of information.
*****************************************************************************
USD 1 = NOK 6.70 No. 05 - 9 February 1993
CONTENTS:
Holst: NATO and EC essential to security (1-2)
Many nominations for Peace Prize (2)
Norway's first woman bishop appointed (3)
Sweeping changes in agricultural policy (4)
Norway scales culinary heights (5)
Nordic troops in Balkan hot-spot (6)
Childwatch International launched in Oslo (7)
Record turnout expected in Lillehammer (8)
Savings banks are over the worst (9)
Rema goes east (9)
Gold coin for the Grieg Jubilee (10)
Gullfaks West to be developed (10)
norinform/1-2 9 February 1993
HOLST: NATO AND EC ESSENTIAL TO SECURITY
In an address to the Polytechnic Society in Oslo recently, Minister of
Defence Johan Joergen Holst said that NATO is still important in order to
block possible future Russian pressure or an attack against Norway.
But he stressed that the country needs another affiliation as well.
"When I emphasize the fundamental importance of Norwegian EC membership to
our security, it's because it can ensure us commensurate influence in the
new NATO," he said. He pointed out that a strongest possible EC connection
would keep some Russian elements from considering Norway as an attractive
position to be taken in event of a renewed struggle for influence and power
in Europe - a struggle between the EC and Russia. Holst thinks that if the
Nordic countries remain outside the EC, they run the risk that the Community
would increasingly turn its attention to the South and to the East.
While European politics are now in a transition period marked by the
cessation of the Cold War, EC cooperation will dominate the future
Europe. In this connection, Holst expects a continued expansion of
defence and security policy cooperation, and feels that there is an obvious
tie between the unification of Germany and the Maastrict agreement. To
maintain Europe's equilibrium, Germany's sway has to be counterbalanced.
"Before the EC, there were no political solutions to this European
problem," he said.
norinform/2 9 February 1993
For Norway it is important to bear in mind that the situation in Russia
is unstable and that the country can veer much further off track than the
Western democracies. Cuts in its military apparatus could lead to
alliances between disgruntled officers and strong nationalistic and
authoritarian political movements. Nor is there reason to count on
tranquility in Russia's relations with the new independent states, he warns.
Holst is especially concerned that an isolationist Russia could pose a threat
to small neighbouring countries. "It would therefore be a clear advantage
for the Nordic countries if Russia were incorporated into coooperation with
the rest of Europe, preferably with supranational agreements which would
keep superpowers from becoming over-dominant by virtue of their very size,"
he asserts.
(norinform)
MANY NOMINATIONS FOR PEACE PRIZE
The deadline for the proposal of candidates for the Peace Prize was 1
February but the Norwegian Nobel Committee continues to receive proposals
which were posted in time.
Among the candidates this year are many who have been nominated previously,
such as Shulamith Katznelson, the 73-year-old Israeli language teacher who
founded the Ulpan schools to bridge the gap between Palestinian Arabs and
Israeli Jews. The International Scout Movement is among the many
instiitutions that have been recommended.
(norinform)
norinform/3 9 February 1993
NORWAY'S FIRST WOMAN BISHOP APPOINTED
Church history will be made in Norway on 20 May when the bishop of Oslo,
Andreas Aarflot, consecrates Rosemarie Koehn (53) as the first woman bishop
in the Church of Norway (Lutheran). Ms Koehn will serve the episcopal see of
Hamar in southeast Norway, which has a traditionally liberal viewpoint on the
issue of women in the priesthood. The new bishop will be only the third
women in the world to be appointed to such an office, and the first in the
Nordic countries. Rosemarie Koehn is at present rector of the
faculty for practical theology at the University of Oslo.
The list of nominees had passed through many channels before being considered
by the bishops, the National Council of the Church of Norway and finally
by the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs, which had the
final say on the matter. On announcing his decision, the head of the
Ministry, Gudmund Hernes, said, "the time is ripe, the opportunity is here,
the decision has been taken."
And though the decision met with acclaim in large sectors of the church,
it caused dismay in many others. Virtually all of the country's bishops
were opposed to the choice of Rosemarie Koehn and there was very sharp
criticism from the Lutheran Inner Mission Society. Few openly stated that
their opposition was based on the choice of a woman as such. The majority
object to Rosemarie Koehn's reportedly rather liberal views on points of
ethics like abortion, homosexuality and common-law marriage. The most
ardent opponents go as far as to say that Koehn's nomination will cause a
deep schism in the Norwegian church.
"I know that anything which is new causes strife and conflict. One must be
be willing to bear such burdens when fighting for something worthwhile,"
says the new bishop herself.
(norinform)
norinform/4 9 February 1993
SWEEPING CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL POLICY
The Standing Committee on Agriculture in Norway's national assembly
supports Government proposals for changes in agricultural policy. If the
proposals are adopted, as they are likely to be, there will be
substantial changes both in production forms and in farmers' earnings in
Norway.
Present agricultural policy was formulated in the mid 1970s, with the
objective of securing the farmers an income on a par with that of industrial
workers. It also set out goals for production and forms of production.
The new proposals represent a departure from the principle of equating
agricultural incomes with those in industry, replacing it with the goal of
bringing farmers' income into line with that of the population as a
whole. Production goals have also been dropped, with the exception of
milk; Norway is to remain self-sufficient in this commodity.
The Government suggests substantial cuts in subsidies to agriculture
and a simplified form of annual negotiations between the government and the
farmers.
The Labour Party, the Conservatives, and the Party of Progress have given
their backing to the Government proposals. Opposition has come from the
Centre Party, the Socialist Left Party and many of the Christian
Democrats. Syver Berge, speaking for the Centre Party, says that former
goals for production, income and areas under cultivation will soon be a
thing of the past. This can put agriculture at the mercy of arbitrary
conditions, he says. Arne Alsaker Spilde,(Conservative) chairman of
the Standing Committee on Agriculture, sees the issue in quite a different
light. "I believe that agriculture will have a stronger position in the
year 2000 than it has at present. But the restructuring that has now
become necessary will be painful for some," he admits.
(norinform)
norinform/5 9 February 1993
NORWAY SCALES CULINARY HEIGHTS
Bent Stiansen, chef de cuisine at an Oslo hotel, last week defeated expert
cooks from all over the world to win the coveted Bocuse d'Or award at Lyon in
France. The Bocuse d'Or - named in honour of the legendary French chef Paul
Bocuse - can be called the chefs' World Championships. So far 90 per cent of
winners have been Frenchmen, with the occasional German breaking the pattern.
During the two-day championships, the competitors had to compose and
prepare a meal using the same ingredients, turbot for the fish course and
fillet of beef for the meat. Stiansen must have prepared a particularly
delicious meal as the jury gave him 561 points, a clear victory over the
runners up, Denmark and Belgium with 528 and 524 points respectively.
Bent Stiansen's victory is a further confirmation that Norway is now in
the first league of international cuisine. Two years ago, the silver medal
in the Bocuse d'Or went to another Norwegian, Lars Erik Underthun. This
made Norway the only country in the world to have secured both gold and
silver in this prestigious competition. Last autumn, the Norwegian
Culinary Team scored high marks at an international competition in Frankfurt,
securing several medals, and at a championship in Atlanta, USA last year,
the same team won both first and third prizes.
(norinform)
norinform/6 9 February 1993
NORDIC TROOPS IN BALKAN HOT-SPOT
It was a small but historic step for the UN when the first Norwegian members
of a rifle company arrived at the Macedonian capital Skopje, in the
former Yugoslavia, on 4 February. For the first time, the UN had deployed
peace-keeping troops as a preventive measure to help keep hostilities from
breaking out into armed conflict. At the request of President Kiro
Gligorev, the Nordic infantry battalion NORBATT has been stationed at
Macedonia's northern and western borders. The battalion is 800 strong,
and the 220 Norwegians in NORBATT have been given responsibility to oversee a
centre position facing the tense border with the Serbian Kosovo
province. Swedes and Finns have been deployed to the east and north
respectively.
NORBATT's second-in-command, Norwegian Colonel Jan Erik Wilhelmsen,
stresses that the troops have no intention of trying to defend Macedonia's
borders. "Our mandate, currently issued for one year, is to oversee,
observe and report the situation. The objective is to keep ahead of, and a
lid on, developments that could draw Macedonia into war," he explains.
Because of the ethnic diversity and tension in Macedonia, the UN battalion
had to meet stringent requirements to integrity and experience. The choice of
Nordic soldiers for the task was partly due to their ability to perform
well under wintry conditions,such as those in the Macedonian mountains. But
more emphasis was placed on their peacekeeping experience and coordinated
training.
(norinform)
norinform/7 9 February 1993
CHILDWATCH INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHED IN OSLO
Researchers from all over the world assembled in Oslo last week to launch
an international organization devoted to research into the problems of
children. Childwatch Interntional(CI) - as it will be called - will set
up a network with a secretariat in Oslo for research and the exchange of
information on issues connected with children, says project leader Per
Miljeteig-Olsson.
At the Oslo meeting, Norway was praised for the considerable attention
it devotes to children's matters. It is one of the few countries in the
world to have appointed a special Minister for Children and Family
Affairs. The present holder of this position in Norway is Grete Berget and
the establishment of Childwatch International is a direct consequence of
an initiative taken by Ms Berget at the "Children at Risk" international
conference, which was held in Bergen last May. In her address to
the Oslo conference Ms Berget said that children the world over face similar
problems such as discrimination, abuse, and the effects ofarmed conflicts.
"We need a global cooperation in order to find the right solutions to the
problems children meet," said Grete Berget. Her Ministry has
granted CI an annual sum of USD 142,000 over a three-year establishment
period.
Lisbeth Palme, child psychologist and widow of Olaf Palme, the
assassinated Swedish prime minister, said at the meeting that the
establishment of CI is a very exciting initiative which aims to improve
communication between research workers in this sector all over the world.
"There is a great need for more study into how the knowledge we
already have can be applied in practice," said Lisbeth Palme.
(norinform)
norinform/8 9 February 1993
RECORD TURNOUT EXPECTED IN LILLEHAMMER
The Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games next year will attract more
participating nations than any winter games to date. "My guess is that
we will receive notification from 70-75 countries," says sports chief
Martin Burkhalter at the Lillehammer Olympic Organization Committee (LOOC).
In their original estimate, organizers were counting on participants from
60 nations.
The increase owes more to the disintegration of states in Eastern Europe than
to a spread of enthusiasm for snow and ice. But if the IOC had not
put new qualification limits on participation, as many as 80 nations
would have been expected next year. Sixty-six countries competed in
Albertville. The qualifying rules are sure to keep a few aspiring winter
sports countries out of the Games, thinks Burkhalter. Senegal, Swaziland
and Lebanon - which turned up in Albertville - are not likely to
make the grade. On the plus side, however, downhill racers will not have to
be on the alert for snowploughing competitors who started minutes before
them.
LOOC will send a formal invitation to national olympic committees in
September. Countries who want to sign up for the Games in Lillehammer will be
given ample opportunity to do so. The liberal deadline for notification is
31 January 1994 - just 12 days before the Olympic flame is lit.
Although LOOC is limiting the total number of participants to 3,000, the
high number of participating nations promises to put the squeeze on
accomodations. (norinform)
norinform/9 9 February 1993
SAVINGS BANKS ARE OVER THE WORST
The financial situation for Norwegian savings banks clearly improved in
1992, and the crisis stage appears to have been passed. A deficit of USD 240
million in 1991 was turned to a profit of USD 127 million, according to
figures from the Association of Savings Banks in Norway. Losses are still
considerable, but during last year these were cut by a good USD 89
million, and stood finally at USD 600 million.
The Association believes that Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway,
may reduce the overnight loans rate to 8 per cent and that the money
market rate could creep below ten per cent. This will initially benefit
business, but on the longer term it could provide the basis for lower
interest to ordinary loan takers, the Association says.
(norinform)
REMA GOES EAST
The Norwegian Reitan group will this summer and autumn add to its chain of
Rema 1000 supermarkets by opening outlets in Prague and Bratislava.
Reitan has signed deals with the Czech and Slovakian foodstuffs concern
Koospol. Koospol is the biggest foodstuffs distributor and retailer in
the two countries. The Reitan group has already signed a similar
agreement in Poland and the first Rema 1000 will open there in March.
The Reitan group registered a profit of USD 35.6 million in 1992, an increase
of nearly USD 9 million on the previous year. Gross turnover was USD 1.1
billion.
(norinform)
norinform/10 9 February 1993
GOLD COIN FOR THE GRIEG JUBILEE
Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, plans to issue a gold coin
with a nominal value of NOK 1,500 (approx. USD 220) to commemorate
this year's celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edvard
Grieg. Only 12,000 coins will be minted. Norges Bank is to decide the price
and design of the new coin. Profits on sales will go into the Treasury
for later use in measures to promote the cultural heritage embodied in the
work of Edvard Grieg. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs will decide the
specifics of how the resources are to be employed.
(norinform)
GULLFAKS WEST TO BE DEVELOPED
The Norwegian Government has approved development plans for the Gullfaks
West oil field, with exploitable reserves of about 21 million barrels.
Gullfaks West is a small, so-called satellite field some 3.5 kilometres west
of the Gullfaks B platform in the North Sea. The operator on the field, state
oil company Statoil, has an ownership share of 85 per cent, while Norsk Hydro
and Saga Petroleum have 9 and 6 per cent respectively.
The cost of the project is estimated at about USD 240 million before
tax. Required investments are almost USD 30 million. Production should be
under way by October this year and will continue for about 12 years.
(norinform)
.