PM visits Sweden & United Kingdom to enhance India’s engagement

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Attends India-Nordic Summit & Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

On April 20 Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his 5-day diplomatic visit to Sweden and the United Kingdom. In his first visit to Sweden he met the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. Shri Narendra Modi also attended the India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm with the Prime Ministers of Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. During the Summit, the Prime Ministers pledged to deepen cooperation between the Nordic countries and India, and focused their discussions on key issues related to global security, economic growth, innovation and climate change. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the importance of free trade as a catalyst for achieving inclusive growth and realising the Sustainable Development Goals. Before leaving Stockholm he addressed Indian community in the capital city.

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Löfven recalled their Joint Statement issued in Mumbai in 2016, welcomed progress so far on its implementation and reconfirmed their commitment to the Joint Statement as the overall political framework for cooperation. Both Prime Ministers agreed to close cooperation in the UN, and other multilateral fora. They took note of the UN Secretary-General’s reform efforts to ensure a UN fit to support Member States to deliver on Agenda 2030.

They also reaffirmed the need for reform of the UN Security Council, including its expansion, to make it more representative, accountable, effective, and responsive to the realities of the 21st century. Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Löfven for Sweden’s support to India’s candidature for non-permanent membership of United Nations Security Council (2021-22) and for Sweden’s support to India’s permanent membership of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council. Prime Minister Löfven welcomed India’s recent accession to the international export control regimes, including to Australia Group (AG), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA),Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR),and The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), and expressed support for India’s membership of the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG).

At the invitation of Prime Minister Theresa May, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reached the United Kingdom (UK) with the theme of ‘Living Bridge’ as a Guest of Government on 18 April 2018. The two leaders held wide-ranging and constructive discussions on technology Partnership, trade, investment,finance, healthcare, innovation, digitization, electric mobility, clean energy, cyber security etc. and underlined their strategic partnership and growing convergence on regional and international issues.

The Same day Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi interacted with participants across the globe in Bharat Ki Baat Sabke Saath programme held in London. He also attended the meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government at Buckingham Palace in London. India had got a special invite wherein Prince Charles traveled to India and personally invited Prime Minister Modi for the event.