Norway's Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Oslo for the 3rd India-Nordic Summit as "historic", underlining its importance for strengthening India–Norway relations and expanding cooperation across various sectors. Speaking to media reporters ahead of the summit, Stener said the visit carries special significance as it marks the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years. "This is a very important visit. We would almost call it a historic visit. It is the first time Prime Minister Modi is travelling to Norway after 12 years as Prime Minister, and it is also the first time in 43 years that an Indian Prime Minister will visit Norway. So, we greatly look forward to this visit. We are very enthusiastic about welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Oslo next week," she said. Outlining Norway's priorities, the ambassador highlighted climate change, energy transition, and sustainable development as key focus areas. "India now has the largest population in the world and is experiencing rapid economic growth. We want to support India in its ambition to make this growth green," she added.
Stener further said that the West Asia crisis will feature prominently in discussions between India and the Nordic countries during the upcoming summit in Oslo, underlining the importance of coordinated dialogue on global geopolitical challenges. "We will also discuss the West Asia crisis between Norway and India. It will also be discussed at the Nordic-India Summit between the Nordic countries and India. As I mentioned earlier, India is the most populous country in the world and a very important stakeholder. Therefore, it is important for us to discuss the broader geopolitical situation with the world's largest democracy and with all six countries that will be meeting in Oslo. All of them support a rules-based world order, which is very important. Coming to the West Asia crisis, it will naturally be part of the discussions." "Norway is very pleased that there is a ceasefire agreement. We hope it will be reinforced further, eventually leading to a peace agreement. We sincerely hope this conflict comes to an end soon," she added. On economic engagement, Stener said bilateral trade remains modest but is steadily growing, with the presence of Norwegian companies in India doubling over the past decade.