| Jonas Gahr Støre | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2005 |
|
| Monarch | Harald V |
| Prime Minister | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Preceded by | Jan Petersen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 August 1960 Oslo, Norway |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Political party | Norwegian Labour Party |
| Relations | Marit Slagsvold |
| Children | Three |
| Residence | Oslo, Norway |
| Alma mater | Paris Institute of Political Studies |
| Occupation | Elected MP in the Storting 2009 - |
| Religion | Lutheranism[1][2][3] |
| Website | Government page |
Jonas Gahr Støre (born 25 August 1960 in Oslo) is the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, having been appointed to Jens Stoltenberg's second cabinet on 17 October 2005. He represents the Norwegian Labour Party.
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Støre is the son of ship-owner Ulf Jonas Støre and Unni Gahr. He attended Berg School in Oslo followed by naval officer training at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy. He later studied political science at the Sciences Po in Paris. He enrolled as a PhD student at the London School of Economics, but withdrew after a few weeks, as he decided not to pursue an academic career.
He started his professional career as a teaching fellow in the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School in 1986. This was followed by a position as researcher at the Norwegian School of Management (1986–1989) and special adviser at the Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister from 1989 to 1995. He was Director General for International Affairs at the Office of the Prime Minister from 1995 to 1998, and he subsequently held the position of ambassador in the Norwegian Delegation to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
His first major international position was as Executive Director (Chief of Staff) in the World Health Organization under the leadership of Gro Harlem Brundtland. This was followed by a year as State Secretary and Chief of Staff for Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in the first cabinet Stoltenberg from 2000 to 2001. Before taking up the position as Foreign Minister he was Executive Chairman of the think tank ECON Analyse from 2002 to 2003 and Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross from 2003 to 2005.
In 2005, Støre was appointed Foreign Minister. Numerous polls have shown that Støre is the most popular member of the current government, although political scientist Frank Aarebrot has said that it isn't really hard for Foreign Ministers in general to win popularity surveys.[4] In the 2009 General Election in Norway, Støre was elected to the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), representing Oslo. Among political commentators in Norway, Støre is considered a potential future Prime Minister.
Støre is a strong supporter of a multicultural Norway. He coined the expression "the new We" to describe this, and states as a goal a society where we can "live side by side with hijab and bikini, and celebrate Christmas and Id". He is also a multi-millionaire, with a fortune of around 40 million NOK (US$6,800,000) in 2008.[5][6][7]
On 14 January 2008, a suicide bomber struck the Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, where Støre was staying.[8] Støre was unhurt in the incident, which killed six people, including Norwegian journalist Carsten Thomassen, who was part of Støre's delegation.[9] United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon stated that Støre was the target of the attack,[10] but this has been rejected by a Taliban spokesperson.[11]
The Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg condemned the attack on the Hotel, saying that: “This is an unacceptable attack against civilians and another strike against the process towards peace and stability in Afghanistan. Now we are focusing on giving the injured the needed medical treatment as fast as possible.”
Støre commented on the death of Dagbladet journalist Carsten Thomassen, saying: “Carsten was unique among Norwegian journalists. He combined solid journalistic work with integrity and great knowledge. He has followed me on many journeys and he was until the end dedicated to his work as a journalist. All those who were together with Carsten in Kabul on 14 January are filled with grief and despair. My thoughts are with his closest relatives and all of his friends and colleagues.”[12]
Støre cancelled the rest of his visit to Afghanistan the day after the attack.[13]
Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, stated that Støre was one of his main targets.[14]
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jan Egeland |
Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross 2003–2005 |
Succeeded by Trygve G. Nordby |
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