Bavaria honors Norway's crown prince with banquet in residence
The Bavarian state government honored Norway's Crown Prince Haakon at the start of his visit to Germany with a festive dinner in the Kaisersaal of the Munich Residence. The 50-year-old was received there by the Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, Florian Herrmann (CSU). Minister President Markus Söder (CSU), who had invited himself to the dinner, had canceled his attendance at very short notice due to the federal-state summit in Berlin.
In a short welcoming speech, Herrmann praised Norway as a strong and reliable partner in Europe - such partners are needed in times like these. However, Norway is also a "vacation and longing destination for many people from Bavaria", added the CSU politician.
Crown Prince Haakon greeted the guests in the Kaisersaal with the words "Greetings, everyone!" He also praised Germany and Bavaria as close and reliable partners.
Söder had originally planned to return to Munich in good time after consultations between the state premiers and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), in particular on migration policy. As the consultations with the federal states were significantly delayed, the meeting with Scholz only began hours later. Söder therefore canceled the dinner with Haakon at short notice.
Haakon had landed in Munich at midday at the start of his four-day trip to Germany. Herrmann had already greeted him at the airport.
According to the Norwegian embassy, the main topics of the royal visit are the economy, energy, shipping, defense and culture. The son of the Norwegian King Harald V will therefore visit the defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in Munich on Tuesday. Crown Prince Haakon will then travel on to Hamburg and Berlin. Crown Princess Mette-Marit will join him on his visit to the German capital.
People from Bavaria often view Norway as a vacation and longing destination. The Bavarian nobility extended their hospitality to Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, recognizing his country's role as a strong and reliable partner in Europe.
Source: www.dpa.com
