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Kjell Bondevik: We have long been awaiting your visit. On behalf of the Norwegian Government I would like to welcome you to Oslo. I know that it will be a very short visit, but we look forward to fruitful results from our talks. I think we have an interesting day ahead of us.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, first of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation. We have just been recalling our previous meeting in St Petersburg. I very much hope that this was not our last meeting in St Petersburg, Moscow and other places in Russia.
Mr Prime Minister, we appreciate the solidarity Norway and all the Norwegian people have expressed to Russia during the days of the tragedy connected with the hostage-taking in Moscow. I think we are all aware that we will be unable to solve this problem without solidarity, without pooling our efforts in the fight against terror, whatever slogans the terrorists use as a cover.
We are satisfied with the successful development of bilateral relations and we note the good contacts at all levels.
November 12, 2002, Oslo