India and the Nordic countries on Tuesday established a strategic partnership for green technology and innovation to drive cooperation in areas ranging from energy security to digital infrastructure, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the five regional nations stressing the importance of trust-based relations in an era of geopolitical turmoil and uncertainty.
Modi joined his counterparts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden at the third India-Nordic summit in Oslo during the penultimate leg of a five-nation tour, with a focus on combining India’s size and talents with the individual strengths of the Nordic countries in areas such as renewable energy, digitalisation, defence, maritime security and shipping.
The new strategic partnership for green technology and innovation, announced at the conclusion of the summit, will complement India’s similar partnerships with Denmark and Norway and drive cooperation on the blue economy and digital infrastructure, and open new avenues for cooperation on climate action, energy security and water management.
Read also: Expect India to push Russia towards ceasefire in Ukraine, says Norwegian PM
The partnership seeks to connect India’s scale with Iceland’s geothermal and fisheries expertise, Norway’s blue economy and Arctic expertise, maritime experience and sustainability of all Nordic countries to help create a better future for the world, Modi said in a joint media interaction with leaders of the five Nordic countries.
The partnership will also help bring together Indian talent with advanced manufacturing and defense capabilities in Sweden, communications and digital technologies in Finland, and cybersecurity and health technologies in Denmark to develop reliable solutions.
Modi referred to the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) that India signed with the European Free Trade Association, which includes Iceland and Norway, and the proposed free trade agreement with the European Union, which includes Denmark, Sweden and Finland, and said: “With these ambitious trade agreements, we are ushering in a new golden era in relations between India and the Nordic countries.”
He added that in the era of global tensions and conflicts, India and the Nordic countries will call for a rules-based global order. Speaking in Hindi, he added: “Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support peace efforts and a quick end to conflicts.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Sture, who hosted the summit after a gap of four years, stressed the need for greater cooperation between democracies in an unpredictable world.
The leaders discussed global security, economic cooperation and the growing geopolitical challenges they all face, Storr said, and “focused on upholding international law, a rules-based order in need of reforms and progress, … the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and finding a diplomatic way to resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.”
Prime Minister of Finland Petri Orbo noted the need for partnerships built on trust, mutual respect and shared democratic values in a world characterized by geopolitical shifts, turmoil and uncertainty, while Acting Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen called for greater cooperation between India and the Nordic countries to navigate a rapidly changing world.
“The Nordic countries, when united, become a middle power,” she said. “Working with one of the greatest powers on…ideas and values can bring stability, prosperity and unity in a world that is changing rapidly and, unfortunately, not in the right direction.”
Frederiksen said Tuesday’s discussions addressed how to enhance integration between countries in defending democracy, managing artificial intelligence and new technologies, defense and security. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the six nations were committed to their focus on innovation, scale and long-term trusted relationships, while Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristron Frostadóttir said India and the Nordic countries could show the world that diverse nations can cooperate while demonstrating a “sense of respect between nations in dialogue and trade.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India and the Nordic countries have agreed to leverage TEPA and the upcoming free trade agreement with the European Union to increase trade, technology and investment ties, and launch joint climate action initiatives that integrate Nordic innovations to create large-scale solutions anchored in India.
The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the Arctic, especially in polar research and environmental issues, and to launch joint research projects in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and next-generation communications technologies, such as sixth generation. They also agreed to promote a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific region and promote the mobility of talent, including students and professionals.
They also agreed to build cooperation in defense industries, including through 100% FDI of Nordic defense companies in India’s defense industrial corridors.
Despite the geographical distance between the two sides, Modi noted that bilateral trade has increased four-fold in the past decade, and that the Nordic countries have become important partners for India, with their investments increasing by almost 200% in the same period.
He said: “We agree that reforming multilateral institutions is necessary and urgent, and with regard to terrorism, we have a clear and unified position – no compromise and no double standards.”
Modi left for Italy, the last leg of his tour, soon after the conclusion of the India-North India summit.
