The North Atlantic Council will visit Bodø and Tromsø, while the NATO Secretary General will visit Bodø and Oslo.

The 28 members of the North Atlantic Council, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow and representatives from NATO’s international staff will arrive in Tromsø on 6 May, where they will be welcomed by State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Torgeir Larsen. Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide will also join the high-ranking NATO officials during their stay in Northern Norway, the ministry’s web site reads.

The visit in Tromsø includes Briefings on matters relating to the High North, a visit to the High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment (Fram Centre) and a visit and excursion with the Coast Guard vessel “Sortland”.

At the University of Tromsø Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide will participate in a debate on the topic ‘Security Challenges in Changing Times – The Role of NATO’ together with the NATO Ambassadors Ivo Daalder (US), Mariot Leslie (UK) and Tomáš Valášek (Slovakia).

On Tuesday the council teams up with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Bodø. There they will have a Guided tour and briefing at the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, Reitan and demonstration of Quick Reaction Alert for Norwegian F16 fighter jets.

Fogh Rasmussen’s program in Oslo includes an audience at the Royal Palace, a meeting with the President of the Storting and a meeting with the Prime Minister. The Secretary General will also take part in the ceremony to mark Norwegian Liberation and Veterans’ Day on 8 May at Akershus Fortress.