India-Norway Green Partnership to drive sustainable growth, says FM Eide
India-Norway Green Partnership to drive sustainable growth, says FM Eide Photograph: (WION)
Eide highlighted the value of the Nordic-India engagement, describing Nordic countries as advanced, tightly knit societies keen to partner with the world's most populous nation.
Oslo, Norway: Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has underscored the growing strategic importance of ties with India, praising its economic rise and shared commitment to sustainable development, while highlighting diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to WION's Sidhant Sibal, FM Eide described the bilateral relationship as "excellent" both politically and economically.
"We recognise the importance of India and its ever-growing importance, very close to becoming the third largest economy in the world, but also a very innovative economy in the IT sector, in artificial intelligence, but also in many other industries," Eide said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in Norway, the first by an Indian PM since 1983. The centrepiece of discussions was the elevation of relations into a Green Strategic Partnership, focused on sustainable growth that balances economic expansion with environmental protection.
"The Green Strategic Partnership is about how we shape the future through economic growth, but the type of economic growth that is both sustainable, takes care of nature, and is more renewable," Eide explained.
He commended India's progress on renewables and electrification, noting it had mitigated what could have been a worse energy crisis.
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A key focus of India-Norway talks was freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupted by war in West Asia. Eide called for adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which requires countries to allow traffic through straits connecting open seas.
"We need to work together to defend [the] Law of the Seas Convention," he said. In the longer term, Eide expressed hope that resolving the Hormuz issue could contribute to broader stability.
The minister also touched on wider global challenges, including war in Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict, which he termed as a "root issue" in the Middle East.
Yet the emphasis remained firmly on practical cooperation with India. Eide highlighted the value of the Nordic-India engagement, describing Nordic countries as advanced, tightly knit societies keen to partner with the world's most populous nation. "We believe that as relatively small countries, but with advanced economies, we... have this conversation with India," he said, looking forward to the summit.
