Press Release

No. 26/1999
Date 16 February 1999

Norwegian Premier to visit Middle East

The Norwegian Prime Minister, Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, will pay an official visit to the Palestinian Self Rule Area, Israel, Jordan and Egypt from 20 to 25 February. The main purpose of the visit will be to strengthen Norway’s bilateral relations in the area, and to continue the country’s contribution to the Middle East peace process.

The Prime Minister’s programme will be as follows (for details we also refer to the Norwegian Embassies in Tel Aviv, Amman and Cairo, and to the Norwegian Representation in Gaza City):

Saturday 20 February: 12.40 departure from Oslo for Tel Aviv. 19.30 arrival Ben Gurion Airport. Departure for Jerusalem, King David Hotel.

Sunday 2 February: 07.45 departure from Jerusalem for Gaza City. 10.00 arrival President Yasser Arafat’s office in Gaza City, political talks. 10.45 joint press conference. 11.05 meeting with UNRWA’s general commissionary, Mr. Peter Hansen, and visit to refugee camp in Gaza. 12.30 luncheon hosted by President Arafat. 13.45 meeting with representatives of organisations LAW and Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, and Gaza Mental Health Programme, at the Norwegian Representation in Gaza. 14.15 departure from Gaza for Bethlehem.

16.05 visit to electricity project at Jarrad. 16.45 meeting with the Minister for “Bethlehem 2000”, Mr. Nabil Kassis, in Bethlehem. 17.30 visit to Manger Square and Church of Nativity, with Greek and Armenian Orthodox bishops and Franciscan custodian. 18.30 evening service in chapel of the Lutheran School at Beit Sahour, conducted by Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan. 19.50 dinner with Palestinian church leaders at Orient Palace Hotel in Bethlehem. Representatives of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches are invited. 21.30 departure from Bethlehem for Jerusalem, King David Hotel.

Monday 22 February: 08.30 breakfast meeting with President Ezer Weizman, at the President’s residence. 09.35 visit to Yad Vashem. 11.00 arrival ceremony at Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, political talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 12.30 joint press conference. 13.00 luncheon hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ariel Sharon. In the afternoon visit to a synagogue in Jerusalem. Talks with representatives of the opposition, at King David Hotel. 17.45 meeting with head of the international observer force in Hebron (TIPH), Mr. Olav Sønderland, at King David Hotel. 18.30 Norwegian reception at King David Hotel. 20.30 dinner hosted by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Tuesday 23 February: 08.30 visit to Prime Minister Yitshak Rabin’s grave in Jerusalem. 09.00 visit to the Knesset, for political talks with Speaker Dan Tichon and Knesset members. 10.20 departure from Jerusalem for Ramallah.

11.00 opening speech at conference staged by organisation Peolple-to-People, at Grand Park Hotel in Ramallah, where representatives of Palestinian and Israeli authorities participate. 11.45 meeting with President Abu Ala of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and speech to the PLC, in Ramallah. Luncheon hosted by PLC. 13.30 departure from Ramallah for Ben Gurion Airport, continuing to Amman14.30.

15.00 arrival Amman Airport. 17.00 political talks with Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh, at Prime Minister’s Office in Amman. 20.00 meeting and dinner hosted by His Majesty King Abdullah, in Raghadan Palace. Overnight stay at Radisson SAS Hotel Amman.

Wednesday 24 February: 08.00 departure from Amman for Alexandria. 10.30 visit to Alexandria Library, where Norwegian architect firm Snøhetta has been instrumental. 13.00 luncheon hosted by Alexandria University President Essam Salem. 15.00 departure from Alexandria for Cairo.

16.00 arrival Cairo Airport. Visit to Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo. 17.45 visit to Muhammad Sayid Tantawy, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. 20.00 dinner hosted by Prime Minister Kamal Ahmed el Ganzouri. Overnight stay at Nile Hilton Hotel in Cairo.

Thursday 25 February: In the morning visit to Grave of the Unknown Soldier and President Anwar Sadat’s grave, in Nasr City. Political talks with i.a. Prime Minister Ganzouri, at Prime Minister’s Office in Cairo. 13.00 Norwegian-Egyptian business and industry seminar and luncheon at Nile Hilton Hotel. 17.00 departure from Cairo for Oslo.

Arrival Oslo in the evening.