Luanda: Angolan President Joo Louren§o on Friday expressed profound sorrow over the death of Norway's King Harald V in Oslo and conveyed his condolences to the Norwegian people, Government, and the bereaved family. In a message addressed to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St¸re, the Angolan statesman highlighted the monarch's contribution to the consolidation of a prosperous Norway and to the country's international standing in the defence of democracy and human rights.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Joo Louren§o also recalled the cordial manner in which King Harald V spoke of Angola and the Angolan people, particularly when matters relating to bilateral relations between the two countries and peoples were discussed. In the message, which was made public, the President of the Republic said the monarch's death leaves the Norwegian people without the calm leadership that marked more than three decades of his reign, a period during which he developed a close bond with citizens and demonstrated a wise understanding of their aspirations.
Joo Louren§o noted that the legacy left by King Harald V will remain in the collective memory of Norway and the international community. The President of the Republic asked Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St¸re to convey the condolences of the Angolan Government to the bereaved family and to those close to the monarch.
King Harald V of Norway died on Friday at the age of 89 at Oslo University Hospital (Rikshospitalet), after more than 35 years on the throne. Harald V, born on 21 February 1937, ascended to the throne in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, and became one of the longest-serving figures in Norwegian public life.
Over more than three decades of reign, the monarch became associated with the modernisation of the monarchy, the promotion of tolerance, and his closeness to the population, maintaining a high level of popularity in the country. Following the death of Harald V, the Norwegian throne automatically passed to his son, the then Crown Prince Haakon, aged 53.
