During bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi succeeded in driving his point home that India’s position on Russian invasion of Ukraine is in the interest not only of the two warring countries but also in the interest of entire Europe and the other western nations. PM Modi suggested to the Premiers of the Nordic nations that “Nobody is going to be victorious in this conflict and it is going to create problems for all of us.”
Highly-placed diplomatic sources told The Daily Guardian that the PMs of Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland with whom PM Modi held bilateral meetings separately were appreciative of India’s position on Ukraine particularly in the context of New Delhi’s initiatives to address humanitarian concerns in the war-hit zone. According to sources, all the premiers lauded the efforts being made by the Indian leader to end all hostilities between Ukraine and Russia. “The top leaders of Nordic countries appreciated PM Modi’s outreach to the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, urging both of them to hold direct talks to find a diplomatic way out,” sources said. They also admired India’s evacuation operation in Ukraine “Operation Ganga” in which people of other countries were also evacuated, sources added.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters in Copenhagen that the Ukraine conflict was discussed during PM Modi’s bilateral talks with these premiers and also at the India-Nordic summit. Sources said that the Nordic countries put their perspectives on the conflict, while listening to PM Modi’s views with rapt attention, without forcing their views on India.
PM Modi discussed with the Nordic leaders the ways to further deepen bilateral ties and also exchanged views on regional and global developments. Modi, who arrived in Denmark’s capital on Tuesday from Berlin on the second leg of his visit to three European nations, met the four Nordic leaders on the sidelines of the second India-Nordic Summit in the Danish capital.
He began his day by meeting Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store during which the two leaders took stock of the full range of bilateral relations. “Both Prime Ministers reviewed the ongoing activities in bilateral relations and discussed future areas of cooperation,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Discussions also took place on regional and global developments. As members of the UN Security Council, India and Norway have been engaging with each other in the UN on global issues of mutual interest, it said.
Modi also had a “wonderful meeting” with Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson during which they discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties and the progress in the Joint Action Plan. This was the first meeting between the two leaders.
During the meeting, the two leaders took stock of the progress in the Joint Action Plan and also appreciated the expanding scope of the jointly launched LeadIT initiative, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
In a separate meeting, Modi held talks with Iceland Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir and discussed ways to further strengthen economic cooperation especially in the sectors of geothermal energy, Blue Economy, Arctic, renewable energy, fisheries, food processing, education including digital universities, and culture, the MEA said. Discussions also took place on regional and global developments, it added.
Modi also met his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin and discussed ways to further cement bilateral ties in trade, investment, technology and other sectors. They discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in the fields of new and emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, future mobile technologies, clean technologies and smart grids, the MEA said. Modi invited Finnish companies to partner with Indian companies and take advantage of the enormous opportunities that the Indian market presents, particularly in telecom infrastructure and digital transformations. Discussions also took place on regional and global developments, and on greater cooperation in international organisations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi and other Heads of Government participated in the India-Nordic Summit at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday. The second India-Nordic summit saw the participation of the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
The situation in Ukraine figured during PM Modi’s meeting with his counterparts from Nordic countries and during the India-Nordic summit. Addressing a special briefing on PM’s visit to Denmark, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the leaders also discussed the Indo-Pacific. “Both in the bilateral conversation and in the summit meeting also, the leaders did exchange views on matters of regional and global interest that naturally included Ukraine also. There were also discussions on the Indo-Pacific,” he said. The summit was held shortly after PM Modi held bilateral meetings with the Nordic leaders.
“The 2nd India-Nordic Summit commences. A boost to our multifaceted cooperation with the Nordic region in areas like emerging technologies, investment, clean energy, Arctic research and more,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet. This summit is follow up to the first summit that took place in Stockholm, Sweden in 2018. The Stockholm Summit was the 1st time India engaged with the Nordic countries as a group on a single platform.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi arrived in the French capital Paris on Wednesday on the final leg of his three-nation visit. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will meet the newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France is third on the list of the three-nation visit, which included Germany and Denmark.
Earlier, in a statement, Prime Minister Modi said, “I will stopover in Paris to meet my friend, President Macron. President Macron has very recently been re-elected, and my visit just ten days after the result will not only allow me to convey my personal congratulations in-person, but also reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries.”
Prime Minister Modi further stated, “This will also give us the opportunity to set the tone for the next phase of the India-France Strategic Partnership.”
He said that both the leaders will share assessments on various regional and global issues and will take stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation. “It is my firm belief that two countries that share such similar vision and values for the global order, must work in close cooperation with each other,” he added.
