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Your Excellency, Honorable Prime Minister Modi, ladies and gentlemen,

It is really a great pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister of India to Norway. – The first visit since the early 1980s. We have been looking forward to that with great expectations.

In times of uncertainties and rapid changes in the world – and polarization and conflicts – it is important to strengthen and build contacts with countries with whom we share fundamental values. Differences – they may be – but they are small compared to the big challenges out there on the world scene, and we need to work together.

Partnerships matter – especially between democracies that share common interests and abide by common rules in the global community.

So – in this spirit, your visit to Oslo is important, Prime Minister.

It reflects the growing partnership between India and Norway — and a shared ambition to really strengthen our cooperation in many fields.

We may be different in geography, culture, size and history, but we have much to gain from working more closely together, and today we will be signing – and underlining – a lot of agreements that take this partnership forward.

In economy, trade has been doubled over the past 10 years. We now have a free trade agreement between EFTA countries and India with great expectations and ambitions; one of the most important trade agreements we have ever signed.

New, large opportunities for investments, innovation, and job creation – in areas such as green tech, renewable energy, maritime industries, and seafood. And for India, I believe it is the first free trade agreement with European partners of its kind.

But we are also moving forward in other areas:

We are now elevating our relationship to a Green Strategic Partnership, which gives us the foundation to work on knowledge, resources, and ambitions for the green transition, where we depend on succeeding, both of us.

We are strengthening our cooperation in health; a lot to learn from India. We are signing a memorandum of understanding on developing high-tech quality health services, closer cooperation on digital health, artificial intelligence, research, and health technology.

We also deepen our cooperation on digital development, including work on digital public infrastructure and digital public goods.

India is today a leading global force in technology, innovation, and renewable energy. I remarked to the Prime Minister that I accompanied the then Prime Minister Stoltenberg to India in 2001 – that is a quarter of a century ago – when we agreed that this was opening a new chapter of economic cooperation between Norway and India. Today, we move yet another step forward with great substance and great ambition.

Norway and India do not always see eye to eye on all issues. Nobody does. And we are both respectful democracies who handle those issues in ways that live up to democratic standards.

But what unites us today, Prime Minister, is more important. I believe that cooperation delivers better results than unilateralism and isolation, especially when it comes to global challenges.

We have to stand up against those who weaponize diplomacy, who weaponize trade, and who weaponize technology. At a time of rising protectionism and more tense geopolitical dynamics, it is more important than ever to stand together for a rule-based order.

And we have been able today to discuss some of the major issues confronting us – such as the war in Ukraine and such as the war in the Middle East. I appreciate the direct contact between diplomats in Norway and India in handling and addressing such issues.

Prime Minister Modi – a warm welcome to Norway – the floor is yours.

See the press meeting here: