Norway

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to mark the new security cooperation agreement through the Department of Defense's State Partnership Program between the Minnesota National Guard and the Kingdom of Norway, which will be celebrated in Minnesota on Saturday, February 4, 2023. This partnership will provide a key avenue to deter aggression and assist in both of our nation's national security while broadening and deepening our long-standing relationship.

Norway has been critical to Minnesota's heritage and culture ever since the first Norwegian settlement was established in Spring Grove back in the early 1850s, a few years before Minnesota officially became a State. Today, Minnesota is the proud home of more than 860,000 Norwegian Americans. Some of our most beloved Minnesotans have been of Norwegian ancestry, including my late friend and mentor, Vice President Walter Mondale. At the end of last year, we had the honor of welcoming Her Majesty Queen Sonja to Minneapolis to celebrate the opening of Norway House's new Innovation and Cultural Center.

In addition to our cultural heritage, Minnesota and Norway share a strong, time-tested military relationship. In 1973, Norwegian Home Guard's Major General Herluf Nygaard invited the chief of the National Guard, Major General Francis S. Greenlief, to visit their Home Guard. What came out of that meeting was the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange, also known as NOREX.

Through this program, members of the Minnesota National Guard and the Norwegian Home Guard have gotten the opportunity to participate in field training exercises with an appropriate emphasis on winter tactical training. For Minnesota guardsmen, it has meant skiing through the mountains of Norway and sleeping in tents and snow shelters. For Norway's soldiers, it has meant winter training at Camp Ripley. Every participant is taken in as a guest by a local family, making NOREX a true cultural exchange.

For 50 years, the program has strengthened the militaries of both our nations while fostering goodwill and lifelong friendships. This new State Partnership Program brings with it the opportunity to build on that progress while offering reassurance to our friends throughout the globe and deterring our foes. This partnership will promote and deepen trust, familiarity, and interoperability between Minnesota and Norway.

Norway is one of Minnesota's best friends around the world. They have stood with us. We have stood with them. And we will continue to stand together. Our friendship is unshakeable. Our progress toward initiating this new State Partnership Program is a testament to that.

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