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Trade and vigor supplies volition apical the docket arsenic Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands present connected Monday (May 18, 2026) for the archetypal bilateral sojourn by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway, 1 of the world’s large lipid and state exporters.
Mr. Modi is scheduled to clasp talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and some leaders volition code a concern acme arsenic some countries question caller markets and caller technological collaborations.
The sojourn volition besides see the 3rd Nordic-India summit, bringing unneurotic leaders of the 5 Nordic Countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark connected Tuesday (May 19, 2026). The acme had to beryllium cancelled past twelvemonth aft the Pahalgam violent attacks and the four-day India-Pakistan conflict. In addition, discussions connected the conflicts successful Ukraine, Iran and Gaza are expected to travel up successful some bilateral and multilateral discussions.
Mr. Modi’s talks with Mr. Støre volition beryllium an accidental to instrumentality banal of the advancement connected the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, which came into unit successful October 2025.
On Monday (May 18), India and Norway are expected to denote 3 government-to-government MoUs successful wellness cooperation, integer infrastructure and abstraction ties, portion astatine slightest 18 MoUs are expected betwixt businesses during the visit, galore of which volition beryllium successful the tract of energy.
“We are discussing much and much what we tin bash unneurotic connected energy, and we are expecting respective business-to-business MOUs connected the vigor side,” Norwegian Ambassador to India May-Elin Stener told The Hindu, citing a large consignment of LNG delivered to India past week, portion of a 15-year statement with Norwegian vigor large Equinor, which volition besides assistance with fertilizer production.
In addition, India hopes to sermon much concern from Norwegian pension funds, the world’s wealthiest, the MEA said successful a briefing past week.
“Another concern that we get from Norway, for instance, is from the Government Pension Fund, which is astir $28 billion. And we are looking to summation the concern that they person successful Indian superior markets,” Puja Kapur, Additional Secretary (North Europe) said.
According to MEA figures, much than 700 Nordic companies run successful India, and astir 150 Indian companies person a beingness successful Nordic regions.
India’s bilateral commercialized successful goods and services is good beneath potential, accidental experts, with astir $19 cardinal with Nordic countries, and some sides are seeking much collaborations. Mumbai-based biotech start-up laminitis Ashvany Bansal, proprietor of Shashvi Biotech, who has patented phyto-therapeutic medicines for oncological treatment, says Nordic countries are important investors successful probe successful particular. Mr. Bansal, who volition articulation the concern acme connected Monday, said helium is hopeful of uncovering laboratory certification enactment and probe concern during the visit.
The timing of Mr. Modi’s sojourn to Norway and the Nordic Summit is besides significant, fixed that the leaders are converging for the archetypal clip since 2022, and the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel’s onslaught connected Gaza aft the October 7 attacks and the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, each are having an impact connected the planetary economy.
“The satellite has changed a batch since [the past Nordic-India Summit]. So, each 5 Nordic countries are truly looking guardant to discussing geopolitical issues with the person of the astir populous country, and determination volition besides beryllium a batch of discussions connected climate, connected greenish aboriginal sustainability and however we tin enactment intimately unneurotic arsenic democracies,” Ambassador Stener said.
All eyes volition besides beryllium connected India’s effect to U.S. sanctions waivers connected Russian oil, which lapsed connected Saturday (May 16), and whether that volition mean a diminution successful India’s imports of Russian oil.
