Norway's defence minister Ine Eriksen Soereidegreets a Norwegian soldier during a visit to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) unit in Muenster, Germany, June 22, 2015. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/Files

OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide will on Friday be named minister of foreign affairs, making her the first woman to hold the post, local media reported on Wednesday.

If confirmed, she will replace Boerge Brende, who last month was appointed president of the World Economic Forum.

Citing unnamed sources, public broadcaster NRK and independent TV2 both reported that Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg would promote Eriksen Soereide to the Foreign Ministry post.

The appointment would leave the top three government jobs, that of prime minister, foreign minister and finance minister, in the hands of women.