Dear friends,
As I write this, the number of COVID-19 cases both in the United States and in Norway, as well as in most other regions of the world, is still increasing at a worrying rate. In these challenging times, my thoughts go to friends in the Norwegian American business community.
The global economic outlook is dark, and doing business has suddenly become much more difficult. Necessary measures to deal with the pandemic such as social distancing suddenly present many of your companies with economic challenges no one could have predicted.
Norway and the United States are close allies and important trade and investment partners. The ties between our countries remain as strong as they were before the pandemic. The United States is the most significant market for many Norwegian companies in sectors such as defense, energy and maritime transportation.
In Norway, as in the United States, the government has adopted unprecedented relief packages to help companies. The Embassy and other Team Norway partners such as the Consulates General, Innovation Norway, NACC and NADIC, are committed to continuing our work together with the Norwegian American business community. We will continue our close dialogue with the U.S. government and work hard to assist the Norwegian American business community where we can.
I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the excellent cooperation with NACC and member companies. I value our partnership and look forward to continuing it with even more energy and dedication in the future.
Sincerely,
Kåre R. Aas
Ambassador