Modi Meets Swedish Counterpart and European Commission Chief in Gothenburg

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Swedish officials and European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen in Gothenburg on Sunday. The meetings took place at the European Business Round Table for Industry and included discussions with European and Indian business leaders.

Von der Leyen reiterated the commitment to the EU-India trade agreement that the two sides reached in New Delhi in January. The agreement is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. The pact covers nearly two billion people and almost a quarter of global economic output.

Under the agreement, India will eliminate or reduce duties on 96.6% of EU goods exports, while the EU will liberalize 99.5% of its tariff lines on goods imported from India over seven years. "This will also deepen investment linkages between India and Europe," Modi said in a post on X ahead of the event.

" "This is the missing piece of the puzzle in our reinforced economic cooperation," she added. "All in all, this dynamic new era in EU-India relations opens historic opportunities, and we are determined to seize them," Von der Leyen concluded.

Swedish officials also discussed strengthening bilateral ties in trade, investments, innovation, defence and more. On Saturday, Modi signed a strategic partnership with the Netherlands aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, technology and energy. Next, Modi will move on to Oslo for the third India-Nordic summit, where he is scheduled to meet with the leaders of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.

Talks will focus on cooperation in technology, renewable energies, defence, space and the Arctic region, India's External Affairs Ministry said. Modi's tour will finish up in Italy on 20 May with a visit to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In 2024, Modi and Meloni committed to a "Joint Strategic Action Plan," agreeing to build cooperation in security and defence, as well as promoting safe and legal migration channels.