PM Modi meets Norwegian counterpart in Denmark, discusses ways to deepen developmental cooperation

COPENHEGAN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store here and the two leaders took stock of the full range of bilateral relations and discussed ways to deepen developmental cooperation.

Modi, who arrived here on Tuesday from Berlin on the second leg of his visit to three European nations, met Store on the sidelines of the second India-Nordic Summit in the Danish capital.

"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," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Later, Modi would attend the 2nd India-Nordic Summit along with Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway where they will take stock of the cooperation since the First India-Nordic Summit in 2018.

"Today's agenda includes the India-Nordic Summit and bilateral talks with Nordic leaders after which I will leave for Paris to hold talks with President @EmmanuelMacron," Modi tweeted before starting his engagements for the day.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had said that the India-Nordic summit focuses on the elements of bilateral cooperation which essentially fall into three to four major clusters - trade and investment ties; the digital and innovation partnership; the green partnership; and other areas of economic cooperation.

"Nordic countries are important partners for India in sustainability, renewable energy, digitisation and innovation. The visit will help in expanding our multifaceted cooperation with the Nordic region," Modi had said earlier.

India's trade with Nordic countries stands at over USD 5 billion (2020-21) and a cumulative FDI of over USD 3 billion (April 2000- March 2021).