If the weather is favourable the President will be flown by helicopter to Oslo. If not he will arrive in the Norwegian capital by car.

At 09:20 the President and his wife Michelle are scheduled to visit the Norwegian Nobel Institute, a visit that is expected to last 25 minutes.

The President will then move on to a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, to take place between 10:00 and 11:00. Afterwards the two are expected to make statements to the press.

At 12:10 President Obama and his wife will be received in audience by King Harald and Queen Sonja at the Royal Palace. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will also be present.

The Nobel Prize Award ceremony will begin at the Oslo City Hall Auditorium at 13:00 and end at 14:00.

An earlier scheduled lunch with the King at the Royal Palace following the ceremony, has been cancelled, and so has a visit to the Norwegian Peace Institute and an international press conference.

At 19:00 the US President wll step out on the balcony of his suite at the Grand Hotel to greet the crowd which always gather on the street outside, often a torch parade.

Immediately afterwards the President and First Lady will arrive at the traditional Nobel Prize banquet with 250 invited guests.  The President's speech will be televised. The ret of the banquet is closed, and the menu a secret.

President Obama and his entourage leave Oslo Airport at 10:25 on Friday morning, and will therefore not be present at the Nobel Prize Concert held in the Laureate's honour Friday evening.

(NRK/Aftenposten)

Rolleiv Solholm