(VOVworld) - A Friendship Order of the Vietnamese State has been presented to former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence Thorvald Stoltenberg to honor his substantial contributions to the two countries’ amity.
 |
| Thorvald Stoltenberg (second, left), Dybdahl Ragnhild (cenre), Kjell Arne Nielsen (first, left) and Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai (second, right) pose for a photo at the ceremony (Photo: VNA) |
The presentation held by the Vietnamese Embassy took place on Thursday in Oslo, Norway, as part of activities to mark the 45
th anniversary of Vietnam – Norway diplomatic ties. Certificates of merit from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh were also presented to Dybdahl Ragnhild, who served as Deputy Head of Mission of the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi from 2011 to 2015, and Kjell Arne Nielsen, who was the Commercial Counselor of the Norwegian Embassy between 2009 and 2012.
On behalf of the recipients, Stoltenberg thanked the State and people of Vietnam for recognizing their contributions to the foundation and development of the countries’ relations. He also expressed his delight at the enormous socio-economic attainments and Vietnam's growing stature in the world.