30 липня 2009
NORWEGIANS AND UKRAINIANS HAVE STRONG FAMILY VALUES
SS How do you like Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens?
OB I have been in Ukraine as the Ambassador since September 2006. The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kyiv manages relations not only with Ukraine, but also with Belarus. I like both countries.
Yes, I love Ukraine. This country is really beautiful with picturesque places, such as Crimea and the Carpathians and great cities like Odesa, Kharkiv, Lviv, Donetsk. There are so many things to see, and so many places to have interesting, unique experiences that one does not have enough time and resources to visit all of them. But I try to travel a lot with my wife and children – this is the most enjoyable way to get to know the country better. And I am really happy to be here.
I often drive my car and travel around Ukraine. During my trips I usually visit very interesting places and meet friendly people. Ukrainians are very hospitable.
When comparing the landscapes of Norway and Ukraine we can see a real contrast. The Kingdom of Norway has a lot of mountains, while Ukraine is famous for its picturesque fields and plains. And I cannot really tell you about my favorite place here. Of course, the Carpathian Mountains are really impressive and very similar to Norway. Also I like Yalta, for its unique climate and nature conditions.
SS Are there any similarities in Ukrainian and Norwegian mentality and social values?
OB It is a very difficult question. We are all human beings and we are all very different on the individual level. But both peoples are European and we Europeans have a lot of similarities in culture and values. For instance, I think, both Ukrainians and Norwegians have strong family values: they both put considerable emphasis on the family’s wellbeing, on health, on good education for their children, on knowledge and culture. They both appreciate their families.
One thing which is different – Norwegians have been trained better to care for our nature and our environment. Ukraine is still learning to do this in a proper way.
When people from different countries get to know each other, they can see that they have a lot in common. Now relations between Ukraine and Norway have developed through the growing frequency of human contacts. When we work together, develop joint Norwegian-Ukrainian projects, share opinions and discuss different issues with our experts in many fields, like economy, environment, energy, social affairs, we see that we have so many common interests!
SS Why is it so important for the Kingdom of Norway to support the counter-trafficking activities around the world?
OB This is our priority. To support counter-trafficking activities is a political and ethical decision of our government. Our goal is to struggle against this evil phenomenon, to engage the world in the struggle with criminal activity, and to develop strong relationships between communities and individuals in the field of human rights.
Of course, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a major partner for Norway globally. Forced labour, forced migration and slavery are intolerable in the modern world. And I think it is natural that we support counter-trafficking.
For us human rights is a priority – for our country, for our policy, for our culture. The ethical and moral imperative to support such activities is well understood by our people.
SS What joint projects in Ukraine funded by Norway do you consider as successful, if any?
OB Relations between Norway and Ukraine have developed in terms of growing bilateral trade, business and investment. Special focus areas for our collaboration are environment issues, new energy like bio-energy, health and water issues. Projects financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway are to support energy efficiency, promote cleaner industrial production, combat climate change and to fight HIV/AIDS.
Also we have projects aimed at developing human society to help Ukraine to implement European and Euro-Atlantic values. Norway has a very useful project concerning the social adaptation of retired or resigned Ukrainian military officers together with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This project is helping former military personnel to adapt to new conditions, to receive new qualifications, and successfully integrate into society.
As for plans for the future – Norway will continue to develop bilateral cooperation with Ukraine. We also emphasize cooperation through international organizations, for instance, the United Nations (and its specialized agencies, such as UNDP), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and others.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also in the future put emphasis on projects concerning economic reform and development, strengthening civil society and respecting human rights, environmental and energy projects.
Our Embassy operates a small grants programme and funds micro-projects of local organizations. We are quite interested in local and regional development, including the reform of the housing sector. And of course, we support the process of future democratic development in Ukraine.
