Norway bids farewell to popular ex-foreign minister

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — NATO’s secretary-general, Norwegian royals, officials and dignitaries have bid farewell to Thorvald Stoltenberg, Norway’s highly popular ex-foreign minister. He died Friday at age 87.

King Harald, Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Stoltenberg’s son, NATO head Jens Stoltenberg, attended the funeral ceremony at Oslo’s cathedral while thousands stood outside the church. The ceremony was broadcast live on television.

Stoltenberg was foreign minister 1987-1989, and again from 1990 to 1993. He also served as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the U.N. Special Representative to the Former Yugoslavia.

Stoltenberg is survived by his son, daughter Camilla, among others.