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Sweden. Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Norway after finishing his tour of Sweden on Monday. In Sweden, both countries elevated their relations to the level of strategic partnership and explored new avenues of cooperation. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years, and Modi’s first visit to the Nordic country. During his two-day visit to Sweden, Modi held talks with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Christerson, focusing on trade, technology, defense and other key areas.

They reviewed the entire gamut of India-Sweden relations and agreed to elevate mutual relations to a strategic partnership, which would mark a major milestone in the relationship. In a post on ‘X’ on Monday, Modi said his visit to Sweden yielded several important outcomes that will bring ‘new momentum to India-Sweden relations’.

“From elevating our relationship to the level of a strategic partnership, launching the Joint Innovation Partnership 2.0 and launching the India-Sweden Technology and Artificial Intelligence Corridor, to setting a lofty target of doubling bilateral trade in the next five years, the interactions were very fruitful,” he said.

On Sunday, Modi was also awarded the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross for his “extraordinary contribution to India-Sweden relations and his visionary leadership”. Later, Modi also addressed the ‘European Round Table for Industry’, where he said India’s ‘reform express’ is running at full speed. The Prime Minister said, “In the last 12 years, India has been working on the basic mantra of “reform, perform and transform”. With the political will of the government, this ‘Reform Express’ is moving forward at full speed.” He also mentioned the country’s young population, growing middle class and infrastructure development.

Emphasizing India and Sweden’s shared values ​​of democracy, transparency, innovation and stability, Modi called for combining Sweden’s strength in innovation and stability with India’s breadth, talent and growth momentum. Modi’s visit to Sweden was part of his visit to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in several key areas. On the next leg of his visit, the Prime Minister will reach Norway, where he will attend the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and hold bilateral talks with the country’s top leadership.

The India-Nordic conference will be held in Oslo on Tuesday. This will include Modi and his counterparts from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. During his two-day visit, Modi will also meet King Harald V and Queen Sonja, while holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storey. Modi will also address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit with the Norwegian Prime Minister. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the visit will also provide an opportunity to increase the momentum in bilateral trade, which was estimated to be around $2.73 billion in 2024.

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