The development of close links between Irish educational institutes and their counterparts in Norway will lead to better understanding of the maritime environment and better management of marine resources, King Harald V of Norway predicted yesterday.
King Harald told a conference at the National Maritime College of Ireland at Ringaskiddy in Co Cork that Ireland and Norway were forging closer links in maritime studies which could only benefit both countries.
"The marine environment is very vulnerable. Climate change in the Arctic will have a significant impact on life in the big ocean basins. Scientific monitoring and analysis of these changes are important," said King Harald, opening Maritime Governance - Our Legacy.
King Harald said he was very pleased to see the college sign a memorandum of understanding with Vestfold University College in Norway which will mark the start of an exchange programme for students from the two institutions.
And he noted that the Marine Resources Centre at University College Cork was already co-operating with Nansen Institute which is affiliated to the University of Bergen, while the Marine Institute in Galway is also working closely with the Ocean Research Institute in Bergen.
The National Maritime College of Ireland is a constituent college of the Cork Institute of Technology and King Harald and Queen Sonja were welcomed to the college by CIT director Dr Brendan Murphy and given a guided tour of the facilities, including the survival pool and navigation simulator.
King Harald and Queen Sonja, who were accompanied by the Norwegian minister for trade and industry, Odd Eriksen, arrived in Cork yesterday morning aboard the Norwegian royal yacht, Norge, which moored off Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour.
The royal couple came ashore at the naval base where they were welcomed by Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey and Cmdr Frank Lynch before King Harald unveiled a plaque to commemorate his visit. The king and queen later travelled to Cork city where they were formally welcomed by Lord Mayor Cllr Michael Ahern.