Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks during a plenary session at the COP28 UN Climate Summit, Dec 2, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (PHOTO / AP)

KIRKENES - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Wednesday voiced his administration's keen interest in expanding cooperation with China in various areas such as energy and climate change.

"We want to have a broad set of cooperation with China. We have a number of areas where we bilaterally can enhance cooperation," Store said in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the Kirkenes Conference, a significant yearly fixture in Northern Norway.

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Highlighting China's global influence, he said that with its role in the world economy, China is a country Norway must work with in order to deal with energy issues, climate change issues and also big issues concerning peace and security.

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Located within the Arctic Circle, Kirkenes serves as the central hub of the Sor-Varanger municipality in Finnmark county, Northern Norway.

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First held in 2008, the Kirkenes Conference endeavors to shed light on various developmental facets within Northern Norway and its adjacent regions, touching upon political, business and social progress.