Norwegian FM terms PM Modi’s visit ‘very fruitful’, calls India ‘important partner’ (IANS Exclusive)

Oslo, May 19 (IANS) Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Espen Barth Eide on Tuesday described India as an “important partner” for Norway and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Scandinavian nation “very fruitful”.

In an interview with IANS, Eide stated that Norway appreciates its close partnership with India, which is soon to become the third-largest economy.

On PM Modi’s visit to Norway, he said: “Very fruitful. He is warmly welcome. We appreciate our close partnership with India, the largest country in the world population-wise and soon to be the third-largest economy, a very innovative and important partner. In a rapidly changing world, traditional alliances and conventional ways of thinking must evolve. It is very good to do that together with India in the situation that we are now in. We very much appreciate that, after all these years, we once again have the Indian Prime Minister here in Oslo.”

PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Norway, where he held talks with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store and attended the India-Norway Business and Research Summit. He has also been conferred with Norway’s top honour, Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, by King Harald V.

The Norwegian Foreign Minister expressed appreciation for India’s ability to deal with the world’s most challenging questions. He stated that Norway feels good to speak with India on how they shape the future of the world.

Asked about demands being raised that PM Modi should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Eide said: “The Norwegian government has absolutely nothing to do with who gets the Nobel Peace Prize because that’s a totally independent committee that makes that choice, and that’s a very important principle. So, I never comment on who should be or who are candidates to the Peace Prize.”

“But what I can say is that I very much appreciate the direction India has been taking and its ability to deal with some of the world’s most challenging questions. And by becoming a bigger country, by becoming a bigger economy, there also comes greater responsibility, and as a country that cares about the world, it is good to speak with India as a responsible player in how we shape the future of the world,” he added.

Eide mentioned that he spoke to PM Modi on Monday and told him about his first visit to India and travelling from Delhi to Varanasi in a steam-engine train.

On how he assesses PM Modi’s standing as a global leader, he said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very popular in India. He has been re-elected and he has high approval ratings. Indians choose who should run India, just as the people of Norway choose who should lead Norway. We very much respect the country and the leader. We believe Prime Minister Modi has done an important job and also raised awareness of the importance of India on the global scale.”

“I very much appreciate last night having ample time to talk to him, including my childhood memories from India, which I first visited in 1974. I told him that I once travelled by steam-engine train from Delhi to Varanasi, which he very much enjoyed hearing since he is, of course, elected from Varanasi constituency,” he added.

–IANS

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