Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC, went to Longyearbyen with Jonas Gahr Støre, Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs. They notably attended a presentation of Svalbard and its Global Seed Vault at the Norwegian Polar Institute.On 08/03/2012, Catherine Ashton visited the old hospital. She then participated in an event with children for the Sun Festival (Soldagen). The Vice-President eventually went to Oslo to attend the "Europakonferansen 2012".The country was the last stop in the three days visit of Catherine Ashton to Scandinavia.