NEW DELHI: Addressing a joint press interaction after the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted growing convergence between India and the Nordic countries on global security and governance issues.
He said that both sides shared “a clear and united stand on terrorism: no compromise, no double standards.”
“In this era of global tensions and conflicts, we will continue to work together to strengthen the rules-based global order,” he said, adding that both sides supported “the earliest resolution of conflicts and efforts towards peace” in Ukraine and West Asia.
Calling the Nordic countries “natural partners”, Modi said the relationship was anchored in “democracy, the rule of law and multilateralism”. He also pressed for reforms in global institutions, saying changes in multilateral bodies were “necessary and urgent”.
India and the five Nordic nations also unveiled a new “Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership” at the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo.
Modi and his counterparts pledged a deeper collaboration in clean energy, sustainability, digital innovation and emerging technologies amid growing global instability.
Modi said the partnership would combine “innovation with scale and talent” to drive sustainable growth and trusted technologies.
“Today, we decided to elevate India-Nordic relations to a Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership. With this green technology partnership, we will ensure a better future for the entire world,” Modi said.
The summit brought together Modi and the leaders of Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, reflecting what the Prime Minister’s Office described as the “expanding scope and growing strength” of India’s engagement with the Nordic region.
A major focus of the summit was economic cooperation. Modi noted that Nordic investment in India had risen nearly 200 per cent over the past decade, while trade and investment flows were creating jobs and strengthening growth on both sides.
He highlighted the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement involving Norway and Iceland, as well as the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement covering Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
“With these ambitious trade agreements, we are ushering in a new golden era in relations between India and the Nordic countries,” he said.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held separate bilateral meetings with Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Discussions covered renewable energy, digitalisation, AI, 5G and 6G technologies, geothermal energy, Arctic cooperation and mobility partnerships.
“India deeply values the friendship with Iceland,” Modi said after meeting Frostadottir, praising Iceland’s expertise in the Blue Economy and geothermal energy sectors.
In a lighter moment, Modi pointed to a linguistic similarity between Hindi and Nordic languages around the word “relationship”. “This is not just a similarity of words. It reflects the closeness of our thoughts,” he said.
