[Norway] Stoltenberg vows to end Norwegian poverty

From Aftenposten Norway

Norway's prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, told an assembled parliament that there would be no more poverty in the world's wealthiest nation when he presented his new government's inaugural declaration on Wednesday.

Labor Party leader Stoltenberg presented a point by point explanation of the new left-center coalition's platform, and minced no words about a war on poverty, the Newspapers' News Bureau (ANB) reports.

"There shall not be poverty in the world's richest nation. The government will abolish poverty," Stoltenberg said.

The PM repeated a series of the promises and themes from the 'red-green' election campaign: common benefits before tax cuts, jobs for all and equal and equally good access to health services for all.

Stoltenberg also repeated the coalition vow to strengthen Norway's sovereignty in the Barents region, an issue in the spotlight after an aging Russian trawler made off with two Norwegian inspectors that tried to make an arrest for illegal fishing in disputed waters.

"The northern areas will be Norway's most important strategic areas in the future," Stoltenberg said, and added that Norway would develop its relations with Russia further.