ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday arrived in Norway on an official visit, a day after he concluded a visit to neighboring Finland.

“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to welcome Volodymyr Zelensky to Norway. Norway stands firm in its support to Ukraine,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store was quoted as saying in a government statement.

Reminding that his country’s parliament recently agreed unanimously on increasing funding to Ukraine, Store voiced Oslo’s support for Kyiv in its defense and said it is also contributing to efforts to achieve a “lasting, just” peace in the country.

He went on to express that he looks forward to “constructive discussions on how Norway can best provide assistance to Ukraine in both the short term and the long term.”

The statement said that Zelenskyy and Store will have several meetings during the day, but provided no details about the program, citing security reasons.

It added that the two will hold a press conference at approximately 3 p.m. local time (1200GMT).

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy conducted a visit to Helsinki where he took part in multiple events, including talks with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.