Norwegian prime minister to visit Norway House, St. Olaf College during MN visit

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is set to visit Minnesota next week, making a stop at Norway House in Minneapolis and St. Olaf College.

On Sunday, Støre is scheduled to discuss a wide range of topics during a visit to Norway House in Minneapolis.

The fireside chat at Norway House is expected to cover the war in Ukraine, climate concerns, transitioning to clean energy and Norway’s alliance with the United States.

The event is free and open to the public, but organizers say ticket reservations are required and can be found here. Those without reservations might be turned away.

The discussion will begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at 913 East Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis and will be moderated by Tom Hanson, a diplomat in residence at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

RELATED: Queen Sonja of Norway kicks off 4-day stay in Minnesota with visit to Capitol

The prime minister is also scheduled to deliver a speech at St. Olaf College on Monday focusing on the ties between Norway and the United States, the two countries’ devotion to security in Europe and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The event is limited to invited members of the St. Olaf community and will not be open to the public.

“Prime Minister Støre’s visit will enhance students’ understanding of the relevance of their academic studies and our Norwegian heritage to a pressing international security issue. We are delighted that Prime Minister Støre will celebrate the long-standing Norwegian and American bond here at St. Olaf.”

– St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer

St. Olaf College was founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1874. It also offers the largest number of Norwegian language courses in the North American continent.

Prime Minister Støre has served in his position since 2021 and has been leader of the Labour Party since 2014. Before politics, he was a naval officer and studied political science at Sciences Po in Paris.

This upcoming trip follows his August meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. He then announced that Norway will send anti-aircraft missiles and mine-clearing equipment to Ukraine as well as help the country secure gas and power supplies.