A busy start for the new Consul General

“A lot is going on successfully here in Rio de Janeiro. I am at the same time beginning to see both challenges and opportunities that Norwegian-Brazilian companies are facing”, says Helle Klem, Consul General at the Consulate in Rio de Janeiro since September 5th.

Two months has passed since the Consul General took office, and according to Helle Klem, it has been two very busy months. These days, Klem and her staff are preparing the third visit on political level to Rio in two months. On November 10th, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, is coming to Rio.

“Norwegian-Brazilian business relations are on the top of my list. Research and development, transfer of technology and education are other priorities for the General Consulate. I’m beginning to see what challenges the Norwegian companies are facing in Brazil, such as the need for local partners and competence. The local content requirement in the petroleum and offshore sector is an important tool for Brazil, as it has been for Norway, to be carefully balanced with the need for technological development. My job is to be a facilitator and to promote Norwegian interests. The willingness to share information and experiences among stakeholders in the Norwegian-Brazilian business community has impressed me,” she says.

Expectations

The new Consul General has a versatile background that undoubtedly will prove useful in Brazil. Before taking office in Rio de Janeiro, Mrs. Helle Klem spent the last ten years working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo. Before that, she was posted at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington DC. She is graduated in law with international law as her specialization.

“In Washington, I worked with shipping, business relations and network building, which I found extremely interesting and rewarding, and it could be very relevant in Rio de Janeiro as well. In the Ministry of foreign affairs I worked with trade policy, the WTO, and I was head o the negotiations on the UN Convention against Corruption, also ratified by Brazil. The last years I was head of the MFA section responsible for coordinating the bilateral contact with the 65 foreign embassies in Oslo”, she says.

Mrs. Klem didn’t know a lot about Rio de Janeiro before arriving, and she admits expectations were high.

“Brazil is an exciting country, which has successfully combined political, economic and social development, and these are very exiting times. There is considerable interest for Brazil in Norway and our relations go way back with the exports of bacalhau and imports of coffee.

The interest is actually so considerable that the Norwegian Government launched a Brazil strategy this year.

“Brazil is important to Norway, and there are a number of possibilities for Norwegian companies here. Brazil and Norway are both important energy producers and suppliers and Brazil is a particularly important market and partner for Norwegian companies in the energy and maritime sectors Brazil and Norway are in many ways complementary and the potential for further cooperation and mutual benefits is great.”

Words to action

The Brazil strategy was launched in March, and Mrs. Klem is inviting the Norwegian-Brazilian business community to get even more involved in the ongoing process.

“Norway wants to build a long term partnership with Brazil and a central element is to better utilize best the resources that our two countries can offer to mutual benefit. It’s time to move from words to action and fill the strategy with actual measures. If there are things we need to look into, now is the time to bring this to our attention”, she says.

Impressing presence

The Consul General has been present at two NBCC meetings.

“I find the strong presence of Norwegian companies here in Rio quite impressing, and meeting the NBCC was both very nice and useful. I would like to continue the sound cooperation already in place, between all stakeholders involved. It has struck me how well everybody is working together, both the General Consulate, Innovation Norway, NBCC, Intsok and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council. Everyone is pulling in the same direction, and this enables us to obtain more. The Consulate General wants to contribute actively and be a door opener. I feel very privileged to get the chance to work here in Rio de Janeiro, and I’m looking forward to the continuation”, says Helle Klem.

Mrs. Klem is in Rio with her husband, who also takes to liking Rio a lot.

“Our two grown-up sons are staying behind in Norway and Denmark, where one is studying for the time being. But I can assure that they will come and visit. I really like to travel and I am looking forward to seeing other parts of this amazing country, in addition to beautiful Rio”, she says.

By Runa Hestmann Tierno, NBCC Journalist

 

 

(The visit of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, was later cancelled.)