Oslo - Remarks by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store further fuelled speculation that Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is soon to be chosen for the post of secretary general of NATO.

After a speech Monday evening in Oslo, Store was quoted by the online edition of the Dagsavisen newspaper that the next NATO secretary general understands Norwegian, which "is good for Norway."

Speakers of Norwegian and Danish can understand each other quite easily.

Oslo  - Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store was due to visit Egypt for talks with his counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit on Wednesday before flying out for a meeting of European officials in Paris the next day..

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Middle East envoy Tony Blair, and European Union external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner would be part of the meeting in Paris Thursday.

Norway currently chairs the international donors group for the Palestinians, known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee.

Oslo - Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store flew Tuesday to New York to attend a meeting of the UN Security Council on the crisis in Gaza.

Store is currently chair of an international donors group for the Palestinians, known as Ad Hoc Liaison Committee.

Oslo has joined calls for an end to the violence and urged Israel to halt its recent ground offensive in Gaza.

Norway was also to review its holdings in companies that have operations in Israel and the Palestinian territories against the backdrop of the increased violence, Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said.