Oslo: As part of his five nation tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Oslo, Norway on Monday. This visit marks the first time an Indian PM has set foot on Norwegian soil in 43 years — the last being Indira Gandhi’s visit in 1983.
“I have landed in Oslo, Norway. I am grateful for the warm welcome from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the airport. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Norway in over 40 years. I am confident that the visit will strengthen the friendship between India and Norway. I will meet Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja, and hold talks with Prime Minister Støre. Tomorrow, the 19th, the third India-Nordic Summit will be held in Oslo. It will be a good opportunity to meet my Nordic colleagues,” he wrote on X
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The visit comes at a time when Europe is locked in an existential security crisis. This has been caused as global supply chains undergo structural de-risking. Moreover, compounding effects of climate change are accelerating interest in green technologies and the Arctic.
Oslo is hosting the 3rd India-Nordic Summit, bringing together Modi and the leaders of Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden.
For decades, India’s continental European strategies focused mainly on traditional heavyweights like Paris, Berlin, and Moscow, according to experts. But New Delhi steadily realised the importance of pivoting towards the high north of the continent, according to a Firstpost analysis.
The five Nordic nations has a combined GDP exceeding $1.9 trillion, reports claim. These countries lead global benchmarks in green hydrogen, maritime innovation, deep-tech, sustainable ocean governance, and geo-thermal energy.
Modi is on a five-nation diplomatic tour spanning the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, with the visit focused on strengthening India’s trade, energy, technology and strategic partnerships with Europe and West Asia.