New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Norway on Monday to participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and hold bilateral engagements with Norwegian leaders.  The visit marks PM Modi’s first trip to Norway and the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 43 years. During the visit, he is scheduled to call on King Harald V and Queen Sonja, besides holding bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.Prime Minister will also address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit along with the Norwegian Prime Minister. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit will provide an opportunity to review the progress made in India-Norway relations and explore avenues to further strengthen them, with a focus on trade and investment, capitalizing on the India – EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, as well as on clean & green tech and blue economy. 

"The visit will also be an opportunity to induce momentum in bilateral trade worth around USD 2.73 billion (2024), and investments by Norway’s Government Pension Fund (GPFG) of close to USD 28 billion in the Indian capital market," the MEA stated.The 3rd India-Nordic Summit will take place in Oslo on May 19, 2026. PM Modi will be joined by the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre; Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen; Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo; Prime Minister of Iceland, Ms. Kristrun Frostadottir; and Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson for the Summit. The Summit will build upon the two previous Summits held in Stockholm in April 2018 and in Copenhagen in May 2022, and will impart a more strategic dimension to India’s relationship with the Nordic countries, especially in technology and innovation; green transition and renewable energy; sustainability; blue economy; defence; space and the Arctic. "The visit will also provide an impetus to India’s bilateral trade (USD 19 billion in 2024) and investment ties with Nordic countries as well as help build resilient supply chains following the India-EU FTA and India-EFTA TEPA," the MEA stated.

/IANS