Jill Schramm/MDN Signing the Sisters City agreement Monday at Minot City Hall, from left, are Mark Vollmer, Minot Public Schools superintendent; Brekka Kramer, MACEDC president; Mayor Tom Ross: Trude Tvedt, Skien group leader and city council; Steve Shirley, Minot State University president; and Tim Mihalick, Norsk Hostfest board president.

Cultural, educational, economic and other ties between Minot and Skien Norway, were acknowledged in the signing of a renewed Sister City agreement at Minot City Hall Monday.

“It’s been more than 40 years since the seeds of our Sister City relationship were planted,” Minot Mayor Tom Ross said. “Our communities have nurtured those seeds with friendship and a common culture. We’ve watched those seeds grow into a strong, vibrant partnership on many levels. Today is a good day as we continue to enjoy the blossoms of our collective hard work.

“We have found the past 40 years that we’re really not all that different. What’s important in Skien is important in Minot — community, culture, family, friendship,” he added.

The agreement includes the City of Minot, Minot State University, Minot Public Schools, Minot Area Chamber EDC and Norsk Hostfest.

“We are certainly excited to welcome our friends from Norway, see familiar faces that we are able to bring back and new faces as well,” said Brekka Kramer, president of MACEDC. “It’s just a great relationship that we have, so we’re excited to continue the discussions, not only from our time together this week but moving forward.”

The Skien delegation includes Rolf Haugen, a former city manager, who reported he is making his 28th trip to Minot and considers Minot his home away from home. Others in the delegation are Ole Geir Hoppestad and Marius Roheim Johnsen, both Skien City Council; Jan Terje Olderup Olsen, former mayor and Skien City Council, and his wife, Margrethe; Guro Honnindal, Skien Cultural Department director; Rune J. Eide, cultural department adviser; Ruben Kaasa, businessman and farmer; Torleiv Opland, chief of mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy; and Trude Tvedt, Skien group leader and Skien City Council.

After touring Minot Monday, Tvedt said the city’s hospitality has been inspirational.

“We have seen so much that we have learned from,” she said. “We look forward to exchange more and have a closer relationship in the future. So it’s an honor to be here and to sign the agreement.”

Steve Shirley, president of Minot State University, said the university is eager to resume student exchanges that ended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We sent our choir there several years back and they had a great tour throughout Norway and in Skien. Those kinds of exchanges and opportunities particularly for young people to grow and to be exposed to other parts of the world, whether they are from Norway coming to Minot or from Minot and going to Skien, I think that’s an absolute win-win for everyone and especially for the students involved,” he said.

Skien visitors will continue to build relationships in Minot today. Some are scheduled to speak about Norway at Erik Ramstad Middle School today. Another will be looking at Minot’s recycling and waste management.

Norsk Hostfest begins Wednesday.