It may be a chilly spring in Stockholm at this time of year but Prime Minister Narendra Modi was warmly received by a wide section of Swedish society, from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, to a euphoric throng of 1,100 students and diaspora members.
Mr. Modi’s hectic day of meetings began with his reception by His Majesty the King, with Crown Princess Victoria present, at 1p.m. IST, following which he joined a bilateral discussion with Mr. Löfven at Sager House, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Sweden.
After a working luncheon there, the India-Sweden Innovation Partnership will be signed, and further details of the bilateral agreement will be released publicly, including on diverse areas of cooperation such as innovation, clean technology, waste management, renewable energy, women’s development, and skill development.
Round table with 40 Swedish CEOs
Shortly after 4 p.m. IST Mr. Modi and Mr. Löfven will participate in a round table with around 40 CEOs of major Swedish firms, following a reception at the Stockholm City Hall by the President of the City Council and the Mayor of Stockholm. This will likely include representatives of Volvo, Saab, Astrazeneca, and Ikea among others.
Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg and Minister for Housing and Digital Development Peter Ericsson will join this meeting as representatives of the Swedish government.
From approximately 6:30 p.m. IST Mr. Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Nordic Prime Ministers, including, in order, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway. After this, they will jointly speak with Mr. Modi and his team at the Nordic-Indian Summit, focusing on issues such as clean technology.
Capping off the group discussion with dinner, Mr. Modi will then head to the University of Stockholm for an address to the Indian diaspora at 9:30 p.m. IST, the final agenda item of a packed day before leaving for airport to fly to London.
