Norway’s Consul General in New York, Sissel Breie, has represented Norway, Norwegian interests and Norwegians on the east coast of the US since October 2008. She is a former Ambassador to Argentina and West Africa, and has worked with media, cultural affairs and international development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Norway.
“I feel privileged to represent Norway in the most important city in the world, and believe there is great potential to increase awareness of Norway in the United States” said Consul General Breie.
“The bonds between Norway and the United States have always been strong and it’s a joy to work with all the Norwegian-American organizations and see that tradition lives on while new bonds are being created. It is great to see all the successful Norwegian artists, musicians and designers based here and talking to representatives from Norwegian companies thriving in the area.”
A great deal of attention is given to Norwegian architecture and design at the moment, with several exhibitions coming up at some of New York’s most reputable institutions. “Norwegian architecture and design has always been highly regarded, but some flagship firms with recent international success have really created a name for Norwegian architecture,” explains the Consul General.
Norway is strongly involved in policy areas such as peace and reconciliation, energy and climate change, gender equality, and the Arctic regions. “Our job is to foster relationships between institutions in Norway and those based here in New York and on the east coast. Sometimes we have to knock on doors and find that people are surprised to learn about Norwegian expertise in these areas, but we also find that many institutions come to us wanting to collaborate.”
“I encourage everyone to visit norway.org regularly and sign up to our newsletter to hear about Norwegian cultural events happening in the area, and welcome all Norwegians and others in need of consular services to the Consulate General in NYC. For those who plan to travel to beautiful Norway, www.visitnorway.com/us is your gateway.”