You have to be able to have a reception like that – under floodlights and spontaneously with a new host. Because Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had to stay longer in Berlin at the Prime Minister’s Conference, State Chancellor Florian Herrmann (CSU) instead stood on the red carpet in the Hofgarten on Monday evening to receive Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon. Well, the two of them already knew each other from when they were greeted at the airport in the afternoon. And royals aren’t easily upset anyway. The heir to the throne put on a practiced performance: a leisurely stroll, left hand in his trouser pocket, a lively signature in the guest book under the eyes of Herrmann and State Parliament President Ilse Aigner (CSU) and off to the reception in the residence.
On his four-day tour of Germany, the 50-year-old first visits the Bavarian capital before traveling on to Hamburg and Berlin – where Crown Princess Mette-Marit will join him. Together with government representatives and a business delegation, Haakon wants to consolidate and strengthen the good ties between Germany and Norway on his trip through the republic.
When he arrived at Munich Airport on Monday, the Norwegian Crown Prince was initially greeted by Herrmann. In the evening there was a banquet in the Imperial Hall of the Munich Residence, Crown Prince Haakon greeted the guests with the words “Greetings everyone!” The visit program continues on Tuesday with issues of armaments and defense. A visit to the arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is also planned.
According to the Norwegian Embassy, the core topics of the visit are economy, energy, shipping, defense and culture. In addition, the community of values between the two countries should be emphasized, for example in questions of democracy, it was said. In addition, oil and gas-rich Norway wants to show itself as a strong economic partner when it comes to energy issues.