Modi eyes strategic gains in 4-nation Europe visit

Narendra Modi’s Europe tour to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy will focus on energy security, trade disruptions from the West Asia crisis, and cooperation in critical technologies, alongside the India-Nordic summit and key bilateral engagements

New Delhi: Safeguarding energy flows, mitigating trade disruptions from the West Asia crisis, and bolstering cooperation in critical technologies are set to top the agenda during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four-nation tour of Europe next month, authoritative sources said on Thursday. The prime minister is set to visit the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from May 15 to 20, they said.

It is learnt that there is a possibility of Modi making a brief stopover in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) either at the beginning or the end of his European tour. There is no official announcement yet on the prime minister’s planned trip to Europe.

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In Norway, Modi is set to attend the third India-Nordic summit slated for May 15 and 16. The summit was to be held in May last year, but it was cancelled following the Pahalgam terror attack. Boosting innovation, economic growth, climate-friendly solutions and mutually beneficial trade and investments are expected to be the main focus areas of the summit.

The prime minister is also likely to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the five Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — on the sidelines of the upcoming summit.

It will be the prime minister’s first visit to Europe after India and the European Union firmed up an ambitious free trade agreement in January, capping years of negotiations. While Denmark, Finland and Sweden are members of the EU, Norway and Iceland are not part of the grouping.

Securing energy flows and mitigating trade disruptions from the West Asia crisis are expected to be a major focus of the prime minister’s meetings with the European leaders, said a source.

The prime minister’s visit to the Netherlands is expected to be an opportunity to explore ways to enhance bilateral partnership in the areas of semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green hydrogen, trade and defence. During Modi’s trip to Sweden, the two sides are likely to focus on deepening cooperation in areas of innovation for a sustainable future.

The prime minister’s visit to Italy is expected to boost the overall trajectory of bilateral ties, including in areas of trade, investment and defence. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto is currently visiting New Delhi with an aim to develop a defence industrial framework for co-production of military hardware by the two countries.