Strong commitment to closer cooperation between Norway and Denmark

'Denmark and Norway are both maritime nations with abundant natural resources. Together, we can develop the North Sea into Europe's green energy hub,' said King Harald in his speech at the opening of the business delegation's visit to Denmark today.

Norway and Denmark have the expertise to help solve major global challenges – if we work together. Several speakers highlighted this during Thursday's opening plenary at the 'Norway and Denmark – together for a sustainable future' business conference, hosted by the Confederation of Danish Industry in Copenhagen.

The business delegation, comprising leading Norwegian and Danish companies in energy, carbon capture and storage, offshore wind, green shipping, health and defence, will take place in connection with King Harald and Queen Sonja's official visit to Denmark.

His Majesty the King emphasised the importance of close neighbours such as Norway and Denmark working well together. King Harald noted that the world is facing major challenges, citing the brutal war in Ukraine, the energy situation, high inflation, and global unrest and uncertainty.

'These challenges transcend national borders and can only be solved by working together. The business community – in other words, you – has a vital role to play here,' King Harald told the gathering of Norwegian and Danish business leaders.

'Individually, we may be small. But together, the Nordic countries make up the world's 11th-largest economy, with a population of 27 million,' His Majesty continued.

Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Terje Aasland, and Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen Danish-Norwegian energy cooperation on carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), offshore wind and hydrogen.

At company level, Kongsberg Renewables Technology and Blåse Energi signed cooperation agreements on offshore wind and technology development in the North Sea, while Vårgrønn and European Energy signed an agreement on developing offshore wind projects in the Baltic region.

We are responsible for leading and organising the programme for the business delegation. Our CEO, Håkon Haugli, emphasised that Norway and Denmark are much more than neighbours, and that together we can develop the green solutions the world needs now.

'I see a room full of business leaders who work every day to find solutions to the major challenges facing the world. And that is the purpose of this visit,' Haugli said.

The business conference continues in Aarhus on Friday, focusing on green maritime solutions and the defence industry.