Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Sweden capital Stockholm, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Premier to the Nordic nation in 30 years.
Mr. Modi was received at the airport by his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven.
The Prime Minister is on the first leg of a five-day foreign tour, which will also take him to the United Kingdom to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
“Scripting history! PM @narendramodi arrives in Stockholm on a first bilateral visit by an Indian PM in 30 years to a warm and personal welcome by @SwedishPM Stefan Lofven at the airport and to participate in the first ever India-Nordic Summit,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Lofven travelled together in the same vehicle from the airport to hotel, he said.
For deepening the bilateral ties
Earlier, ahead of his visit, Mr. Modi said in New Delhi that he was looking forward to deepening the bilateral engagement with both countries in a number of areas, including trade, investment and clean energy.
“India and Sweden share warm and friendly ties. Our partnership is based on democratic values and commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based global order. Sweden is a valuable partner in our development initiatives,” Mr. Modi said in a departure statement on Monday night.
Mr. Modi said he and Mr. Lofven would interact with top business leaders of both countries and chart out a future road map of cooperation in sectors such as trade and investment, science and technology, clean energy and smart cities.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to call on King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf.
India and Sweden will jointly organise a India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm on Wednesday. It will also be attended by the Prime Ministers of Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.
