Health MoU, Digital public infra to top the focus during PM Modi's Norway visit

Norway’s Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, has expressed strong optimism about deepening bilateral relations, highlighting a surge in high-level engagements and the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Norway. Speaking at Norway’s National Day celebrations, Stener described the partnership as “expanding and forward-looking,” spanning oceans to digital innovation, green energy to emerging technologies.

“India and Norway are strong democracies with a shared commitment to international cooperation. Over the past year, our bilateral relationship has gained remarkable momentum,” she said.

In the last 12 months alone, six ministerial visits took place, three from each side. From India, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Norway. Norwegian ministers who travelled to India included Fisheries and Ocean Policy Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss for India Maritime Week in Mumbai, Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Karianne Oldernes Tung for the AI Summit in Delhi, and Health and Care Services Minister Jan Christian Vestre for the Bengaluru Tech Summit. Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik also attended the Raisina Dialogue.

The centrepiece of the upcoming visit will be PM Modi’s bilateral engagements in Oslo, followed by the 3rd India-Nordic Summit on May 18-19th. In a departure from protocol, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will personally welcome Modi at the airport. During talks with PM Modi later, PM Støre will be accompanied by four senior ministers, Foreign, Development, Health (the No. 2 in government), and Trade, during the meetings.

Key deliverables include the signing of an MoU on health and digital public goods with a focus on trilateral cooperation for developing countries. A joint India-Norway statement will emphasise bilateral trade under the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which entered into force on October 1, 2025, climate change, green energy transition, blue economy, health cooperation, scientific collaboration in the Arctic, and counter-terrorism.

PM Modi will also meet King Harald V and have lunch with the royal couple and Crown Prince Haakon. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will hold separate talks with his Norwegian counterpart. A high-profile business roundtable attended by both Prime Ministers and Crown Prince Haakon will witness the signing of 30 business MoUs.

Stener highlighted the TEPA’s impact: “This agreement opens new opportunities in trade and business, green solutions, renewable energy, maritime industries, health tech and beyond.” She specifically noted that “Norwegian salmon now enjoys zero-tariff access to the Indian market.”

The India-Nordic Summit at Oslo City Hall will see Modi engage in bilateral meetings with other Nordic leaders. Discussions are expected to cover global conflicts, the UN 2030 Agenda, multilateralism, and shared values in international law.

Ambassador Stener pointed to the human dimension of the partnership: “What sustains our partnership is the human connection, the trust and friendship between our people. Whether through business collaborations, academic exchanges or cultural ties, it is these relationships that give real meaning to diplomacy.”