Knut Vollebæk

Knut Vollebæk (born February 11, 1946 in Oslo ) is a Norwegian diplomat and Christian Democratic politician . From 1997 to 2000 he was Norwegian Foreign Minister under Kjell Magne Bondevik , and in 1999 Chairman of the OECD and the OSCE .

The economist and graduate of the Norwegian Business School in Bergen is a career diplomat. In 1973 he joined the Norwegian Foreign Service. After working for the Norwegian embassies in India , Spain and Zimbabwe , he got his first post as ambassador in 1991 ; based in Costa Rica , he became Norway's ambassador to Central America . From 1991 he worked in various positions at the United Nations . He was named ambassador to the United States in 2001. On July 18, 2007, he was appointed High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE.

Vollebæk was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1997 and the Saint Olav Order (Commander) in 2001. He has also received honors from several other states and honorary doctorates from Concordia Academy (Minnesota), and St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota).

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personal data
SURNAME	Vollebæk, Knut
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Norwegian diplomat and Christian Democrat politician
DATE OF BIRTH	February 11, 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH	Oslo