Viking Magazine - November 2012 - 46

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R
olf Willy Hansen has spent his
career promoting diplomacy
between Norway and many
countries around the world. He has been
posted in Tanzania, France, Namibia
and Hong Kong. From 2005 to 2008,
Ambassador Hansen was based in Minneapolis
while serving as Norwegian
Consul General to the Upper Midwest.
Now, he's Norway's Ambassador to Syria
and will speak about the Arab Spring on
November 14 as part of the Minnesota
Peace Initiative. Viking spoke to the Ambassador
about the event and Norway's
goals to promote peace in Syria.
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; I'll be speaking based on my experience
as the Norwegian Ambassador to
Syria about the effects of the Arab Spring
on the world, the region and people in
general. Developments are different in
individual countries, but there are certain
trends that are more general.
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; The situation in the Middle East
is one of the top issues on any foreign
policy agenda at any time. Whatever
happens in the Middle East has a bearing
on the rest of the world. It has an
impact on all of us. The region is an
energy provider, and since it's right on
the Mediterranean, it has effects on
Europe and other countries.
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countries to influence developments and
put pressure on the regime to stop killing
people. We need to sit down to negotiate
the transition process.
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; Right now we are providing humanitarian
assistance to victims of the unrest.
We give a lot of aid to people inside Syria
through the Red Cross and the U.N. in
addition to the refugees from Syria who
have gone to neighboring countries such
as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. We all
hope this situation in Syria will find a
The situation in the
Middle East is one of the top
issues on any foreign policy
agenda at any time. "
; We enjoyed our posting in Minneapolis
very much and always feel very
welcome when we come back. Obviously,
it's part of the world that has a special
relationship with Norway, and we have
lots of good friends and colleagues there.
It's a pleasure to come back.
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; When a country is in the middle of
a conflict, our focus is not just to follow
the events and comment upon them.
We are trying to get together with other
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resolution sooner rather than later. Unfortunately,
for the time being, both the
regime and the opposition have chosen
military options as a way to get ahead. In
the long run, a military solution is really
no solution. You have to find the political
solution at the end of the day. The regime
has to step down, and we all hope for a
different kind of system in Syria.
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; I've always been interested in international
affairs since I was a kid. Working
in foreign services gives you an opportunity
to work with different elements of
foreign policy. You are able to work with
other countries to improve the bilateral
relations between Norway and various
parts of the world.
Viking Magazine - November 2012

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