Blue economy, geothermal energy, carbon capture in focus during talks between PM Modi, Icelandic counterpart
Oslo, May 19
Blue economy, geothermal energy, carbon capture and sustainable development figured prominently during the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Icelandic counterpart Kristrun Frostadottir on Tuesday as both leaders met on the sidelines of the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo.
The meeting took place as part of PM Modi's five-nation tour from May 15 to May 20.
According to a post on X by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders also held wide-ranging discussions covering various aspects of bilateral cooperation and regional issues of mutual concern.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir of Iceland met on the sidelines of the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo. The discussions centred on several aspects of bilateral relations, including geothermal and renewable energy, fisheries, trade and investment, innovation, digital technologies, creative economy, Arctic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges," the post read.
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted Iceland's expertise in sectors linked to sustainability and the blue economy, while expressing optimism over growing trade and investment cooperation between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.
"Had a wonderful meeting with Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir of Iceland. India deeply values the friendship with Iceland. We talked about ways to improve ties in areas such as clean energy, fisheries, sustainability, geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage and more. Iceland's prowess in sectors relating to the Blue Economy is admirable. We are hopeful that the historic India-EFTA TEPA will give an impetus to trade and investment linkages as well," the Prime Minister stated in his post on X.
PM Modi is set to join the third India-Nordic Summit here, convening with the prime ministers of Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden.
The high-level conference is designed to solidify New Delhi's geopolitical alignment with the Nordic bloc, building upon the foundational frameworks established during previous iterations in Stockholm in 2018 and Copenhagen in 2022.
PM Modi is in Norway in the fourth leg of his five-nation visit. He reached Oslo after visiting the UAE, the Netherlands and Sweden.
He is scheduled to visit Italy in the last leg of his tour.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive how PM Modi is building bridges with Nordic countries. The India-EFTA TEPA could be a gamechanger for Indian exports. But I hope carbon capture doesn't become an excuse for industries to keep polluting. Real sustainability starts with reducing emissions first. 🌍
As someone who works in renewable energy, this is excellent news. Geothermal is vastly underutilized in India despite our potential in the Himalayas. Learning from Iceland's 50+ years of experience is exactly the kind of collaboration we need. Smart diplomacy. 👏
Blue economy sounds fancy but let's see how it helps our fishermen on the ground. Our coastal communities need sustainable fisheries management and cold storage chains, not just high-level talks. Also, why is he going to Italy next? Is this tourism or diplomacy? 🤔
Great to see India building strategic partnerships beyond the usual suspects. The Nordic model of combining economic growth with sustainability is something we desperately need. Especially impressed by the focus on digital technologies and creative economy—that's the future! ✨
Five-nation tour in one week? Our PM needs a break! But seriously, India-Iceland ties make perfect sense—both are volcanic island countries with similar geological challenges. The Arctic cooperation angle is also crucial as climate change opens new shipping routes. Smart, strategic visit.
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