OSLO, Norway (AP) — Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that he is returning to government in his native Norway as finance minister.

NATO's former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to become Norway's next finance minister on Tuesday, the country's finance ministry confirmed to CNBC.

Former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who became Norway's new finance minister on Tuesday, said engaging with the Trump administration on trade was key to avoiding tariffs as Europe braces for a potential transatlantic trade war.

Former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg was named Norway’s new finance minister on Tuesday as part of a cabinet reshuffle, stepping into the role at a time when the Nordic nation is concerned about the pot

Stoltenberg will replace the outgoing finance minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, from the Center Party. Before becoming NATO chief, Stoltenberg served twice as Norway’s prime minister, 2000-2001 and 2005-2013. He also held the finance minister position in the 1990s.

Norway's eurosceptic Centre Party quit the government on Thursday in a dispute over the adoption of European Union energy policies, leaving the centre-left Labour to rule alone eight months before an election.

Former NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said he will temporarily leave his position as chair of the Munich Security Conference because he has accepted a position as Norway's finance minister.