MOUNTAIN, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum today welcomed the Prime Minister of Iceland, Her Excellency Katrín Jakobsdóttir, to the 119th annual Deuce of August Icelandic Celebration in Mountain, highlighting the strong ties between North Dakota and the island nation.
“We are deeply grateful for Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir’s visit to North Dakota and this community whose people take such great pride in their Icelandic roots and heritage,” said Burgum, who introduced Jakobsdóttir as the keynote speaker for the celebration’s Heritage Program. “The United States and Iceland are allies, trading partners and most of all friends, and we look forward to strengthening this relationship founded on cooperation, mutual support and a shared commitment to democracy, human rights and individual freedom.”
Jakobsdóttir is the fifth sitting prime minister of Iceland to attend the Deuce of August celebration since 2005. The four-day celebration in the Pembina County community has been certified by North Dakota Tourism as the state’s longest-running ethnic festival and is the largest Icelandic event in the United States.