Arne Walther
Former Chairman, IEA Governing Board and Ambassador of Norway
Arne Walther, Former Chairman, IEA Governing Board and Ambassador of Norway
Ambassador Arne Walther (retd) is an independent adviser on government relations, geopolitics and international energy affairs. Through his company Walther International Consulting, registered in Norway, he is currently, among other things, an Adviser to the Polish oil company LOTOS Exploration and Production Norge AS, and Adviser to Mitsubishi Corporation International, as well as a Collaborating Partner with the international communications company
Burson Marsteller (Oslo).
He is, moreover, a Distinguished Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India, TERI’s Resident Representative in Norway, and a Professor (adj) at the TERI University in New Delhi, as well as a Senior Adviser at the Global Resources Partnership (London).
Ending his Foreign Ministry career as Ambassador of Norway to Japan (2009-2014), he earlier served as Norway’s Ambassador to Austria and the UN Organisations in Vienna, as well as Ambassador to India and to the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris. His former international positions include serving as Chairman of the Governing Board of the IEA (2000-2002), and as the first Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (IEF) headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2003-2007).
Ambassador Walther is a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Windsor Energy Group and a member of the Advisory Board of the London Energy Club (UK), the Advisory Board of the Bosphorus Energy Club (Turkey), as well as a member of the International Steering Committee for the World Sustainable Development Summit (India).
A Norwegian career diplomat from 1972 to November 2014, Ambassador Walther served as: Ambassador to Japan (2009-2014); Ambassador, Senior Adviser on Energy Affairs; Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2008-2009); Secretary General of the International Energy Forum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2003-2007); Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia as well to the UN Offices and IAEA in Vienna (2002-2003); Director General and Head of the Department for Trade Policy, Natural Resources and Environment. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1999-2002) and, concurrently, Ambassador to the International Energy Agency, Paris; Chairman of the IEA’s Governing Board (2000-2002); Ambassador to India, Bhutan and Nepal (1995-1999) and, concurrently, (1995-1996) also to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, resident in New Delhi; Ambassador and Special Adviser on Energy Affairs. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1989-1994). Concurrently, Ambassador to the International Energy Agency, Paris. Deputy Chairman of the IEA’s Governing Board and Chairman of the IEA’s Committee on Non-Member Countries (1991-1994). Head of Norway’s Delegation to negotiations on the European Energy Charter (1991-1994). Special Adviser on International Affairs to Prime Minister Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland (1987-1989); Head of the Energy Division. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1985-1987); Board Director and Director for External Relations of Norsk Agip. Oslo (Norwegian affiliate of Italy’s state oil company Agip) (1982-1985); Political Adviser to the Minister of Petroleum and Energy (1980-1981); Executive Officer seconded to the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister for Nordic Co-operation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1977-1979). Attaché, later Second Secretary (political affairs), Norwegian Embassy in London (1974-1976); Translator, later Attaché (political and cultural affairs) at the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow (1971-1973).
Ambassador Walther has degrees from the Universities of Stockholm and Lund, Sweden, in Political Science, Economics and English awarded in 1969 and 1971. He is a graduate of the Norwegian Defence Language School (Russian) 1969-70 and did part-time post-graduate studies in International Relations at the London School of Economics (1975-1976), while serving at the Embassy of Norway in the UK.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, USA in 1946, he is married to award-winning journalist, author and film maker Anita Pratap (Indian national), former CNN Bureau Chief for South Asia and correspondent for Time Magazine.