He will be accompanied by a small delegation from the Storting, comprising Second Vice President Nils T. Bjørke (Centre Party), Liv Kari Eskeland (Conservative Party) and Birgit Oline Kjerstad (Socialist Left Party).

The delegation will pay visits to the Riksdag and the Folketing (the Swedish and Danish parliaments). There is a long tradition of Nordic presidents of parliament visiting each other relatively soon after national elections have taken place. It is important for colleagues across the national borders to get to know and learn from their Nordic counterparts.

“It’s an extremely valuable exercise for us to exchange experience, discuss mutual challenges, and talk about how to improve and develop our own parliaments,” said Mr Gharahkhani.

Among the items on the agenda during the two visits will be parliamentary work during the pandemic, gender equality in the parliaments, confidence in democratic institutions, and the green transition.

In addition, the President of the Storting will have audiences with the countries’ respective heads of state. The programme in Sweden will include a visit to the organization International IDEA, which works to promote sustainable democracy worldwide. In Denmark, the delegation will visit State of Green, a public-private partnership which deals with green solutions, and UN City, a campus in Copenhagen which houses eleven separate United Nations agencies.

“Nordic collaboration is of great significance. Our societies have much in common and face many of the same challenges. I’m hugely looking forward to meeting my colleagues and to learning more about how they conduct business in their parliaments,” added Mr Gharahkhani.

The President of the Storting’s delegation has been composed with a view to both party political balance and relevant committee and delegation experience.