PM Modi to meet Swedish PM Stefan Lofven to enhance bilateral relations
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New Delhi, Mar 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to hold a virtual summit on Mar 5, with his Sweden counterpart Stefan Lofven, in order to exchange views on regional and global issues and to discuss the bilateral relations between the two countries. "This will be the fifth interaction between the two leaders since 2015," reads the statement of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
According the statement, "PM Modi had visited Stockholm in April, 2018 for the First India-Nordic Summit. While, Sweden PM had visited India in Feb, 2016 for the special 'Make in India' week." The MEA statement further read that the two leaders had met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Sep 2015. In April 2020, the two Prime Ministers had a telephonic conversation to discuss the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India and Sweden have warm and friendly relations based on shared values of democracy, freedom, pluralism and rules-based international order. Both countries have very close cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, innovation, science and technology as well as research and development. Around 250 Swedish companies are actively operating in India in various sectors such as health and life sciences, auto industry, clean technology, defence, heavy machinery and equipment. Around 75 Indian companies are also active in Sweden.
According to the latest statistics, there are about 25,720 members of Indian Diaspora in Sweden. This includes about 15,250 Indian passport holders and about 10,370 foreigners of Indian origin. Most of them are skilled professionals in IT companies, professors, research scholars in universities and other institutes. India also dominates work migration into Sweden from outside EU. Thus, India-Sweden bilateral relations share significance in global politics and the meet of Prime Ministers of India and Sweden shares importance.