Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was quick to congratulate his new British counterpart David Cameron Tuesday evening, after Cameron was asked to form a new British government by Queen Elizabeth.
“Great Britain is one of Norway’s most important partners, and I look forward to cooperate closely with the new British Prime Minister,” Stoltenberg told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
Cameron, head of Britain’s Conservative Party, came to terms with the British Liberal Democrats party, which will win some seats in the new government. That means the British Labour Party has lost government power, for the first time in 13 years.
Stoltenberg, head of Norway’s Labour Party, will now need to work with a Conservative government in Britain, but said he sees no problem with that.
Stoltenberg noted that Norway and Britain have a long shared history and already work closely together on many international issues such as climate change. Stoltenberg said he expected that to continue.
“Now Britain has had a Labour government for 13 years, and in a democracy, that’s subject to change,” Stoltenberg said.
Conservative Party veteran William Hague was named Foreign Minister in the new British government, while George Osborne, finance policy spokesman for the Conservatives, was named Finance Minister.
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