September 07, 2024
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Geneva’s Viking ship gets VIP visitor from Norway

By Rick West - Daily Herald Media Group
Norway's President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani, center, laughs with State Rep. Dan Ugaste, left, and Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns as they visit the Geneva Public Library Friday. Gharahkhani first toured the Viking Ship in Good Templar Park then the library to see the head and tail pieces before having roundtable discussions with local business and political leaders. Gharahkhani is touring the midwest before an upcoming NATO summit.The president of the Storting is akin to the Speaker of the House in the United States.

Norway's President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani, center, laughs with State Rep. Dan Ugaste, left, and Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns as they visit the Geneva Public Library Friday. Gharahkhani first toured the Viking Ship in Good Templar Park then the library to see the head and tail pieces before having roundtable discussions with local business and political leaders. Gharahkhani is touring the midwest before an upcoming NATO summit.The president of the Storting is akin to the Speaker of the House in the United States. (Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com/Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com)

Norway’s President of the Storting, or parliament, Masud Gharahkhani was quick to admit that he doesn’t look like your typical Viking when he visited Geneva Friday, July 5.

The Iranian-born and Norwegian-naturalized Gharahkhani, whose position is akin to the speaker of the House in the United States, is traveling through the Midwest to learn more about local politics, issues and culture in middle America before a NATO summit in Washington D.C. on Monday, July 8.

Norway's President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani and members of his traveling party pose for photos with Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and representatives of Friends of the Viking Ship at Good Templar Park in Geneva Friday.

Norway's President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani and members of his traveling party pose for photos with Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and representatives of Friends of the Viking Ship at Good Templar Park in Geneva Friday. (Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com/Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com)

He visited the Viking ship at Good Templar Park and the Geneva Public Library with Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns Friday morning as part of his tour.

The ship — a replica of the Gokstad, built circa 850 — sailed from Bergen, Norway across the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago for the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair.

Following the tour, Gharahkhani thanked all the volunteers and members of Friends of the Viking Ship for “preserving our history and culture, and teaching it to future generations.”

Gharahkhani’s trip to the library included seeing the replica head and tail pieces of the ship, meeting local politicians and doing roundtable discussions with about 80 local business leaders and residents.

Talking about how intertwined Norway and the U.S. are, Gharahkhani said from the 1800s to 1910, 800,000 Norwegians emigrated to the U.S. from Norway, whose population at that time was only about 2.3 million.

Norway's President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani speaks with business and political leaders at the Geneva Public Library Friday. Gharahkhani is on a tour of the midwest before an upcoming NATO summit.

Norway's President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani speaks with business and political leaders at the Geneva Public Library Friday. Gharahkhani is on a tour of the midwest before an upcoming NATO summit. (Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com/Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com)

Many of them settled in the Midwest.

“I love the U.S. and I love Norway, and here we have both,” he said. “It’s beautiful, I love the people, which is the most important thing.”

Norway is a constitutional monarchy. As president of the Storting, Gharahkhani is second in the line of leadership succession behind the prime minister.

Gharahkhani walked in the Evanston Fourth of July parade Thursday with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky before meeting with officials and residents in Morton Grove. He was given the full Chicago treatment when it came to meals, dining at the Billy Goat Tavern and Lou Malnati’s.

He’ll make stops in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota before Monday’s summit, which marks the 75th anniversary of NATO.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240705/news/genevas-viking-ship-gets-vip-visitor/

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