Ties that go back to the 8th century: A look at India-Sweden relations
Modi stephen
Bilateral trade between India and Sweden stands at over US$2 billion today. And India is, among Asian countries, Sweden's third-largest trade partner.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Sweden and England from April 16 to April 20. The Prime Minister is expected to reach Stockholm, Sweden on April 16.
Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Sweden in the last three decades after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi visitedthe country in 1988.
Ahead of PM Modi's visit to the European nation, we take a quick look at India-Sweden ties that go back to the year 1949 when both countries established formal diplomatic relations.
A diplomatic mission in Stockholm was established by India in the year 1949 which was later raised to the status of an embassy. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in 1957.
The bilateral ties between India and Sweden went smoothly until the Bofors scandal damaged relations in 1987. The scandal resulted in Congress' defeat in the general elections.
By the turnof the century, India-Sweden ties were on the mend. Both the countries expressed commitment and eagerness to promote their economic and cultural relations.
PM Modi's meeting with his Swedish counterpart is likely to translate into better and fruitful ties between both nations. Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven previously declared his support for India's candidature as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Currently, bilateral trade between India and Sweden stands at over US$2 billion. And India is, among Asian countries, Sweden's third-largest trade partner.
On his upcoming visit to Sweden, PM Modi will hold a bilateral summit with his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven on April 17 to discuss regional and global issues at length.
India and Sweden will also co-host the first ever India-Nordic Summit on April 17. The event will see prime ministers from four Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway — in attendance.
An India-Sweden Innovation Partnership is also expected to be launched.
Interestingly, traces of a relationship between the two countries date back to the 8th century.
In 1954, a small bronze Buddha statuette, believed to have been made in present-day Kashmir around the 5th century, was discovered during excavations on an 8th-century Viking ship.
That statuette now rests at the Swedish History Museum.