The traditional ceremony marking the gift of a Norwegian tree has been carried out by celebrities and royalty, such as Crown Princess Mette-Marit, singer Sissel Kyrkjebø, Crown Prince Haakon, Queen Sonja and Princess Märtha Louise. In 2006 Stoltenberg lit the lights of the Norwegian Christmas tree in Berlin.

This is the 61st time that London residents receive a towering Norwegian spruce, which symbolizes the friendship between the two nations and the gratitude for the help extended by the British during the Second World War.

The ceremony takes place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, and the Norwegian PM then goes on to 10 Downing Street to have dinner with British PM Gordon Brown.

Ongoing climate talks in Bali and the United Nations' millennium goals for the eradication of poverty are to be the main themes during dinner, according to political adviser Mina Gerhardsen.

Stoltenberg and Brown launched a joint initiative - The International Health Partnership - in order to reach more quickly the millennium goals pertaining to the health of mothers and children. Their goal is to create a network of nations committed to increasing efforts in this area.