State visit from South Africa: the king's speech

King Harald and President of South Africa Jacob Zuma. Photo: Kongehuset.no

Speech given by His Majesty The King during a gala dinner at the Royal Palace during the state visit from South Africa, 31 August 2011.

Mr. President and Mrs. Zuma,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to Norway. We hope that your visit will be interesting and rewarding, and that it will further enhance our bilateral relations.

It is with fond memories that the Queen and I look back on the warm reception we received and on our thought-provoking stay in your beautiful country during our state visit in November 2009. The visit confirmed that even though we live far apart geographically, we share the same values: democracy, the rule of law, freedom of speech and human rights and respect for diversity.

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Source: kongehuset.no