Norwegian PM eyes future green cooperation during China visit

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who is currently making an official visit to China upon the two countries' 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties, said on Monday that his trip is not about looking back at 70 years, but one that looks forward to the next 70 years.

"This is a vibrant relationship and I'm very happy that we are optimistic and pushing forward for what will follow in the years to come," Store said at a reception held by the Norwegian Embassy in China.

Store, who arrived in Beijing on Monday, said that the green transition and cooperation in green technologies, maritime technologies and technologies of the future, have been on his agenda during the visit.

As both Norway and China will attend the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November, the Norwegian prime minister said the two sides are expected to make it a success on the road to cutting emissions in accordance with our obligations.

Noting that China is the leader in the green transition with new technologies, Store said the three-day trip will also bring him to the shipyard in Nantong, Jiangsu province, where Norwegian and Chinese suppliers are building one of the most environmentally friendly ships of the time to date.

"There are many areas of cooperation that we explore during this visit," Store said, adding that Norway also received a signal from the Chinese side that there will be a 15-day visa-free policy for Norwegians traveling to China.

"That is a good sign for these relations," he said.

Speaking of the Norway-China relationship, Store said he appreciated that the two countries can have ambitions for future cooperation while having a dialogue that can contain more difficult issues where the two sides may have different opinions.

"But that is what the partnership is all about. We can be honest and open in the respective manner," he said.