• German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide are meeting in northern Norway to discuss strengthening security cooperation in the Arctic amid threats from Russia.
• The visit will include talks at the headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces in Bodø, focusing on the growing importance of the Arctic for security and its economic potential for Europe.
• Bodø is home to NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre, which opened in response to security challenges from Russia and is responsible for planning and coordinating NATO air operations in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is visiting northern Norway on Tuesday as Berlin and its NATO allies seek to strengthen security cooperation in the Arctic amid threats from Russia.

Wadephul and his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, will visit the headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces in the city of Bodø, north of the Arctic Circle.

The talks will focus on the growing importance of the Arctic for security, a spokeswoman for Germany's Foreign Office said.

The region also offers significant economic potential for Europe, including hydrogen production, rare earth minerals and access to space through launch facilities in Norway and Sweden.

Bodø is home to NATO's newest Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC), which opened in October to complement existing centres in Germany and Spain. The facility was established to strengthen the alliance's presence in the region in response to growing security challenges from Russia.

The centre is responsible for planning and coordinating NATO air operations in the Arctic and the North Atlantic.

Wadephul is due to visit the Arctic research institute at Nord University in Bodø. Founded in 2007, the institute conducts research into geopolitical, economic and societal developments in the Arctic and the High North regions of the globe.