This year marks the 100th anniversary of Norway's peaceful separation from Sweden, and both countries' ambassadors visited UW-Madison to share experiences of foreign affairs Friday.
UW-Madison Dean of International Studies Gilles Bousquet introduced Knut Vollebaek and Jan Kenneth Eliasson, Norway and Sweden's ambassadors, to the United States.
\As many of you know, the state of Wisconsin has deep and long-standing ties to both Sweden and Norway,"" Bousquet said. ""The 1840s were a decade of considerable Scandinavian immigration to the United States and a significant portion of these newcomers settled in Wisconsin ... and their presence ... remains strong today.""
Bousquet said approximately 8.5 percent of Wisconsinites are of Norwegian heritage and UW-Madison has the oldest and most distinguished Scandinavian Studies Program in the country.
Ambassador Eliasson, the president designate of the United Nations General Assembly, said he was pleased to be at UW-Madison and discuss the importance of peaceful relations.
Not only was the peaceful separation important at the time, Eliasson said, it remains significant today because ""it was a long-term investment in solid relationship with Nordic countries.""
Through his experiences, Eliasson noted two crucial elements to obtaining peaceful affairs: acting early enough to create prevention and respecting other cultures.
Upon finishing, Eliasson introduced Ambassador Vollebaek.
Vollebaek has served on the UW-Madison Dean of International Studies Advisory Board since 2003 and said he is impressed with the Scandinavian departments at UW-Madison.
""To have universities teaching our language and culture ... is a great thing,"" he said.
Vollebaek said Norway was grateful for the peaceful resolution in 1905 and since then, Norway has felt the need to help in the development of smaller countries. Norway has been involved in the Middle East, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Haiti, Vollebaek said.""We need to create a stable world,"" he said.
