PM Modi's visit to Europe: Arctic, defence, security and renewable energy to be the focus
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…India continues to take an interest in Arctic affairs…” India-NORDIC Summit
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland will be present at the second edition of the summit.
The focus will be on various subjects including most importantly India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region, innovation and technology, post-pandemic economic recovery, renewable energy, climate change, and the evolving global security scenario….”
PM Modi’s visit to Europe: Arctic, defence, security and renewable energy to be the focus
He will jointly address a business event with the Chancellor and later the PM will also meet with the Indian Diaspora in Germany.
Written by Huma Siddiqui April 27, 2022
[PM Modi will also attend an India-Denmark Business Forum and also address members of the Indian Diaspora. (File/PTI)]
In his first foreign visit this year (2022), Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading towards Europe next week. The visit to Germany, Denmark and France comes at a time when the Russian war over Ukraine continues, and Europe as a bloc has imposed stringent sanctions on Russia.
Giving details about the visit to these three countries, the Ministry of External affairs in its official statement said, “The visit starts on May 2, 2022, and the first stop is Berlin, where he will hold bilateral talks with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.”
This, according to MEA, will be Prime Minister Modi’s first India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) with Chancellor Scholz. This is the sixth edition of IGC between the two countries which commemorated 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2021 and both have been strategic
The two leaders in the bilateral meeting will also explore ways of intensifying cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, and exchange views on various regional and global matters of mutual interest, said the MEA.
He will jointly address a business event with the Chancellor and later the PM will also meet with the Indian Diaspora in Germany.
India-Denmark
The major portion of his visit to the region is Denmark’s capital Copenhagen where PM Modi will take part in the second India-Nordic summit. This is a very important summit for India as there will be leaders of five Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark will participate in a summit where the focus is going to be on renewable, climate change and clean technologies.
PM Modi is going to Denmark at the invitation of his counterpart PM Ms Mette Frederiksen. Besides having bilateral talks with his counterpart, he will have an audience with Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II. In the first visit by a Head of Government post COVID, in October 2021, post COVID-19, Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen visited India.
The two sides are expected to review their bilateral relations and identify ways of deepening cooperation in various sectors. The leaders will also review the progress of the Green Strategic Partnership which is the first of its kind arrangement between the two countries. The partnership which was set up in 2020 following the first virtual meeting between the two leaders, focuses on sustainable solutions in sectors like renewable energy and green technologies.
PM Modi will also attend an India-Denmark Business Forum and also address members of the Indian Diaspora
India-NORDIC Summit
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland will be present at the second edition of the summit.
The focus will be on various subjects including most importantly India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region, innovation and technology, post-pandemic economic recovery, renewable energy, climate change, and the evolving global security scenario.
Financial Express Online has reported earlier in April 2018, the first ever India-Nordic Summit had taken place in Sweden’s capital Stockholm, and India and the Nordic countries came together to exchange views on some of the most important issues.
Over the last two years due to COVID-19 global lockdown, PM Modi had virtual summit level talks with leaders of three Nordic Countries – Finland, Sweden and Denmark. The US has a similar format of meeting with the Nordic leaders. In 2016, the former US President Barack Obama had a meeting with Nordic countries.
India-France
On his way back to India, on May 4, PM Modi will visit France and the visit comes close on the heels of the recent win of the French President Emmanuel Macron for the second term. The two countries are also celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations.
The meeting of the two leaders is expected to set up a more ambitious agenda of the Strategic Partnership. And the two leaders are expected to focus of enhancing cooperation in various sectors including defence, nuclear energy, education and fight against terrorism.
At the special invitation of President Macron, PM Modi had visited France in 2019 for the G-7 summit, where India was a Goodwill Partner. Also, France had provided 18 Oxygen plants to hospitals located across India when there was a surge in COVID cases in 2021 during the second wave. These plants are expected to fulfill oxygen requirements for the next 10 years.
Will Russia-Ukraine be discussed?
Yes. This will be a topic of discussion at all meetings, especially from the European side.