Oslo  - Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store arrived Tuesday in Afghanistan on his first visit since a suicide attack in mid-January forced him to cut short his visit.

The suicide attack on a hotel in Kabul that claimed eight lives including that of a Norwegian newspaper reporter.

"I am back in Afghanistan to complete the visit that had to be aborted due to the tragic circumstances when I was last here," Store said in a statement issued by the Norwegian foreign ministry.

During the visit, Store was slated to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and UN Secretary General special representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide.

Store said there were several outstanding challenges including tackling corruption and poverty as well as improving security.

Norway has around 500 troops in Afghanistan and is part of NATO-led operations in the country. (dpa)