Life in Norway Show Episode 63: The acting head of the U.S. Embassy in Norway joins the show to talk about her role and the relations between the two countries.
Today I’m speaking to Sharon Hudson-Dean, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Norway. Sharon took a few minutes out of her very busy schedule when visiting Trondheim recently to become the fourth Ambassador to come on the show.
We talk about what brought Sharon to Norway, the role of the U.S. Embassy in Norway, and relations between the two countries, among other things.
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Introducing Sharon
Sharon Hudson-Dean began her assignment as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Norway in July 2021.
For the previous three years, she was U.S. Consul General in Sydney, Australia, leading a large team of U.S. interagency representatives focused on trade and investment, the strong security partnership, and support for the Indo-Pacific region in line with shared U.S.-Australian values and priorities.
Prior to that, Ms. Hudson-Dean was the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nordic/Baltic Affairs and Public Diplomacy in the European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau at the Department of State (2017-2018).
Listen more: Interview with the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway
She served as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riga, Latvia for three critical years starting in 2014, during which the United States supported its Baltic allies with increased military engagements and the deployment of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battalions in the region.
The role of the U.S. Embassy in Norway
I asked Sharon to run through the diverse roles of the Embassy. She said because of the important history including the mass migration from Scandinavia, the Embassy plays a “very important and special” role.
“In addition to that we have our long military and security history, going back to our cooperation in World War Two, and then being founding members of NATO together,” she said.
She also talked of the importance of the energy industry and the emerging technology related to climate change and renewable energy.
Links from the show
- U.S. Embassy in Norway
- Follow the Embassy on Facebook and Twitter
- Follow Sharon on LinkedIn
