ALBANY, N.Y. – Assemblymember John T. McDonald III and the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau today welcomed Norway’s Consul General in New York, Elin Bergithe Rognlie, to the Assembly Chambers. Rognlie has represented Norway, Norwegian interests and Norwegians on the east coast of the U.S. since August 2013. Norway is strongly involved in policy areas such as peace and reconciliation, energy and climate change, gender equality, and the Arctic regions.

Before taking her position in New York, she was Chargé d’Affaires at the Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, and previously held the position as Policy Director of Renewable Energy at The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo. She was previously stationed at the Embassies in Washington DC, Ottawa Canada and at the Norwegian Delegation to the OECD in Paris. Cultural exchange between the U.S. and Norway are among the key priorities at the Consulate General in New York. Currently there is a momentum for Norwegian and Scandinavian art, design and architecture in the U.S. and on the international cultural scene.

Anyone interested in Norwegian cultural events are encouraged to visit www.norway.org regularly and sign up for their newsletter to get information on Norwegian cultural events happening in the area. For daily updates on Norway and Norwegian activities in the U.S. you can follow the Norwegian Embassy and the Norwegian consulates on twitter: @NorwayUS.