Karen Ellemann from the Liberal Party (Venstre) will now take over responsibility for Nordic Co-operation.

This follows Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen's re-shuffle of the Danish government, which was presented to the Danish Queen Margrethe II on Tuesday.

Karen Ellemann replaces one of the Danish government's most experienced ministers, Bertel Haarder, who becomes the new Minister of the Interior and Health.

By taking up her post as new minister for Nordic co-operation Karen Ellemann has now placed herself in the chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers:

"The Danish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2010 has already done a great deal of work to inject new political impetus to Nordic co-operation and to put this exceptional co-operation of the international map. I am looking forward to continuing this work and especially to finding joint Nordic responses to the major challenges of globalisation," says the new minister.

Karen Elleman was elected to the Danish parliament for the first time in the election of 2007. She has previously been spokesperson on integration and family affairs for the Liberal Party. The new minister for the environment and Nordic co-operation is a qualified teacher.

Lene Frees
Phone +45 33 96 03 26
Email lf@norden.org

Jesper F. Schou-Knudsen
Phone +45 33 96 03 55
Email jsk@norden.org

Eva Marie Steenberg Head of the Secretariat for the Minister for Nordic Co-operation Email: evavag@um.dk Direct: +45 3392 0447 Mobile: +45 5077 8615