Sweden hosts Norwegian prime minister visits

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg met with Swedish counterpart Goran Persson on Wednesday in his first official foreign visit since taking office.

"This is an expression of 100 years of friendship and cooperation," Stoltenberg said of the visit, referring to the 100th anniversary of Norwegian independence from Sweden. The two Social Democratic leaders agreed to broaden cooperation between their countries in developing "sustainable energy solutions," such as wind power and other renewable energy sources, Persson said.

European and international issues, such as an upcoming World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong next month, were also discussed, he said.

Stoltenberg leads the first Norwegian majority government in 20 years. It took office on Oct. 17 after the so called Red-Green coalition won a majority in parliament in September elections. A.M.