It is the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and continuous commitment to strengthening global relations that he is continuously visiting various countries, in this sequence he held an important bilateral meeting with his counterpart Jonas Gahr Store in Norway, in which in-depth discussions were held on future-oriented issues like trade, investment, green technology and blue economy. This visit is special in many ways as this is the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to Norway and it is the visit by an Indian Prime Minister to this Scandinavian country after a long gap of 43 years, indicating a new direction to the relations between the two countries.
In the meeting held on Monday, Prime Minister Modi along with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store discussed in detail the trade and investment opportunities, and also emphasized on strengthening cooperation in important areas like green technology and blue economy, which are extremely relevant in the current global scenario. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Oslo after his successful two-day visit to Sweden, where he was warmly welcomed at the airport by Norwegian Prime Minister Storey and other top leaders of the Scandinavian country, reflecting the cordial relations between the two countries. It is important to note that this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years, which gives the visit historical significance and heralds a new chapter in bilateral relations.
Following this bilateral dialogue, Prime Minister Modi and Gahar Storr will jointly participate in the 3rd Nordic-India Summit to be held in Oslo on May 19, which will bring together leaders of India and Nordic countries like Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. This summit, which is an important sequel to the earlier conferences held in Stockholm in 2018 and Copenhagen in 2022, is expected to give a more strategic direction to India-Nordic relations, opening new doors for India’s cooperation with these countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a statement ahead of this important visit of the Prime Minister saying that this visit will provide a unique opportunity to review the progress made so far in the relations between the two countries and further strengthen them, especially in the areas of trade, investment, clean energy and blue economy. The ministry also clarified that cooperation between the two countries will be taken forward by taking advantage of the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) trade and economic partnership agreement, which includes countries like Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, underscoring the importance of this regional economic bloc.
Understanding the importance of this visit, Norwegian Prime Minister Gehr Storey himself had said before Prime Minister Modi’s visit that India, being the world’s largest democracy and most populous country, plays an important role in climate, technology, trade and international security. He also emphasized that the visit reflects the importance of cooperation between India, Norway and the Nordic countries at a time of current global instability, and that they stand together to promote international cooperation and a rules-based world order, reflecting their shared commitment to global peace and stability. This visit of Prime Minister Modi will not only take bilateral relations to new heights, but will also strengthen India’s growing role on the global stage.
