Copenhagen [Denmark]: On the sidelines of the 2nd India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (May 4) held talks with his Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson where both sides reviewed the progress made in the bilateral partnership.
This was the first meeting between the two leaders. Both leaders also discussed the possibility of deepening cooperation in areas like innovation, climate technology, climate action, green hydrogen, space, defence, civil aviation, Arctic, polar research, sustainable mining, and trade and economic ties.
Discussions also took place on regional and global developments.
India and Sweden have had longstanding close relations based on common values, strong business, investment and R&D linkages, and similar approaches to global peace, security and development.
Innovation, technology, investment and R&D collaborations provide the bedrock of this modern relationship. During the 2018 visit of Prime Minister Modi to Sweden on the occasion of the 1st Nordic Summit, the two sides had adopted a wide-ranging Joint Action Plan and signed a Joint Innovation Partnership, said the Ministry of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar.
In the meeting, the two leaders reviewed the progress made in the bilateral partnership. They also expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the lead IT initiative. This was an India-Sweden joint global initiative to set up a Leadership Group on Industry Transition (LeadIT) in September 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit to help guide the world’s heaviest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting industries toward a low-carbon economy. Its membership has now grown to 35, with 16 countries and 19 companies.
Ahead of the India-Nordic summit set to take place on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on the final leg of his 3-day Europe visit, holds bilateral talks with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store.
Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister’s Office wrote, “Boosting friendship with Norway. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @jonasgahrstore meet in Copenhagen. They are taking stock of the full range of bilateral relations between the two nations and ways to deepen developmental cooperation.”
PM Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Iceland and Finland. “On the side-lines of the Summit, I will also meet the leaders of the other four Nordic countries and review the progress in India’s bilateral relations with them,” PM Modi had said.
Following the bilateral talks, PM Modi will participate in the India-Nordic summit in Denmark before departing for Paris to meet the newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron on the final day of his 3-day Europe visit on Wednesday.
The second India-Nordic summit will see the participation of the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway and will follow up on the first summit that took place in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2018.
“The Summit will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security scenario, and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region,” PM Modi had said in his departure statement before embarking on the three-day visit on Sunday.
Following the summit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to make a brief stopover in Paris for a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, the newly re-elected President of France.
During his ongoing visit, PM Modi has held bilateral engagements with the leadership of Germany and Denmark and addressed Indian diaspora events in both Berlin and Copenhagen.
PM Modi also held interactions with the business leaders in both Germany and Denmark during his visit.
PM Modi arrived in Berlin on Monday, where he held bilateral discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before participating in the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations.
The Prime Minister said the Inter-Governmental Consultations were productive. A total of nine agreements were signed between India and Germany, including a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, under which Germany agreed to make an advance commitment of 10 billion euros of new and additional developmental assistance to India until 2030.
The Indian Prime Minister also addressed the Indian community in Berlin, where he talked about the achievements of his government, especially in the area of integrating technology with governance.
On the second day of his visit, the Indian Prime Minister arrived in Copenhagen, holding talks with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen and discussing bilateral issues, including trade between the two countries and cooperation on environmental action.
The two leaders also held delegation-level talks in Copenhagen to review the Green Strategic Partnership progress between the two countries.
PM Modi and his counterpart also discussed Ukraine, with the former reiterating India’s stand on early cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic resolution of the ongoing conflict.
The two leaders went on to address a joint press conference, where several agreements were formally signed between the two countries, including a Declaration of Intent (DoI) on Migration and Mobility, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of skill development, Vocational Education and Entrepreneurship and the launch of energy policy dialogue at ministerial level between the two countries.
A total of nine agreements were exchanged between the two countries.
In the evening, PM Modi also addressed the members of the Indian diaspora in Copenhagen, with the Danish PM also accompanying him.
More than 1000 members of the Indian community in Denmark, consisting of students, researchers, professionals and business persons, participated in the event, according to an MEA statement.
PM Modi also attended a dinner hosted by the Queen of the Kingdom of Denmark, Margrethe II, at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, which was the last item on the agenda of PM Modi on the second day of his visit. (ANI)
