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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The delegation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) arrived at Norway yesterday (September 17) to continue its visit in Northern Europe. The delegation visited the Storting, the Parliament of Norway, to better understand the political system of Norway, and the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund.
The delegation started the day by visiting the Storting, where delegation members met with the parliamentarians representing the ruling coalition to gain a better understanding of the relationship among political parties in a coalition government. These parliamentarians include members of the Progress Party, the Conservative Party and the Christian Democratic Party.
The delegation hosted a working lunch with a representative of the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, Mr Bjørn Geir From, who is responsible for managing the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, monitoring and analysing economic trends in Norway and overseas, and advising on economic policy of the country. The delegation was also briefed on the management of petroleum revenues, along with fund mechanism, governance and performance, as well as strategy for responsible investment practices.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Office of Parliamentary Ombudsman and met with the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Mr Aage Thor Falkanger, to receive an overview of the work of his Office, in particular the historical background and legal framework of the Ombudsman system, as well as the Ombudsman's work in practice.
The delegation then attended a dinner hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the presence of representatives from the Norway-Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.
The delegation will continue the visit in Norway today (September 18) and will meet with the President of the Storting, members of the Standing Committee on Local Government and Public Administration and the Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, staff members of the Storting Secretariat and academic of the University of Oslo.
Ends/Thursday, September 18, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:12
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