Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-nation tour, beginning in the UAE and moving through Sweden and Norway before ending in Italy, came at a time when India-Europe ties were gaining sharper strategic focus.
Modi’s stop in Oslo, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years, put the spotlight on the India-Nordic Summit, where leaders pushed for deeper cooperation in green energy, innovation, and trade, framing the moment as part of a broader “golden era” in engagement.
In an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18, Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide made it clear that this is not just rhetoric, calling the green transition the “greatest long-term potential” for both countries, particularly in renewable energy and green shipping.
He also pointed to the growing role of the Indian community as a “valuable contributor” to Norway’s economy, while emphasising that people-to-people ties remain key to strengthening the partnership.
Eide also weighed in briefly on the controversy surrounding a viral exchange involving Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, saying press freedom is “a human right integral to Norwegian society.”
Edited excerpts below.
The last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway was 43 years ago. Why has it taken so long for such a high-level visit to materialise, despite traditionally warm relations between the two countries?
Espen Barth Eide: The visit marks the entry into force of the India-EFTA Trade and Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in October 2025. Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to visit Norway last year, but the visit was unfortunately postponed due to tensions between India and Pakistan.
What, in your view, makes this visit strategically significant at this moment in global politics? And what was the biggest outcome of the India-Nordic Summit beyond broad declarations?
Espen Barth Eide: This visit comes at a time of profound geopolitical, economic, and technological shifts. In such a landscape, deeper cooperation between India and the Nordic countries becomes not just valuable, but necessary to address shared challenges.
The India-Nordic Summit is expected to strengthen collaboration across key areas like the green transition, digitalisation, innovation, and trade. More importantly, it has helped deepen political dialogue while opening the door to closer economic engagement between India and the Nordic region.
For Norway and India specifically, ties have already been on an upward trajectory, with bilateral trade doubling over the past decade. Cooperation has also expanded in areas such as climate and energy, research, and innovation. The India-EFTA trade agreement is a significant milestone, and we expect it to further boost trade, investment, and overall economic cooperation going forward.
Delhi and Oslo are expanding cooperation in green shipping, energy, Arctic research, and the blue economy. PM Modi has described India and Europe as entering a ‘Golden Era’, highlighting the EFTA agreement’s $100 billion investment target and one million jobs. From Norway’s perspective, which sector holds the greatest long-term potential, and how realistic are these targets in today’s global economic climate?
Espen Barth Eide: The green transition offers the greatest long-term potential, particularly in areas such as renewable energy, green shipping, and the broader maritime sector. These are areas where both Norway and India bring complementary strengths.
The Green Strategic Partnership between our two countries provides a strong framework to drive growth that is not only economically beneficial, but also more sustainable and future-oriented.
PM Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora in Oslo, with large crowds gathering to greet him after his arrival. How important is the Indian community in deepening Norway–India ties, both economically and culturally?
Espen Barth Eide: The Indian community in Norway is a valuable contributor to Norway’s economy, particularly in sectors such as IT, technology, and services. It also plays a key role in strengthening cultural understanding between Norwegians and Indians.
People-to-people ties are a vital pillar of any strong bilateral relationship, and in this case, they meaningfully complement the close cooperation we already share at the government level.
PM Modi has been conferred the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order during this visit. What message does Norway intend to send through this honour at a time of rapidly evolving India-Europe relations?
Espen Barth Eide: His Majesty King Harald V conferred upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Grand Cross, Norway’s highest civilian honour awarded to foreign heads of government, during the visit. The award is bestowed in recognition of outstanding service to Norway and to humanity.
At a time when the world is facing growing instability, from tensions involving Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz to the prolonged war in Ukraine, did these geopolitical crises feature prominently in your discussions with PM Modi? And do you see Norway and India working together to support diplomacy and de-escalation efforts?
Espen Barth Eide: Yes, both India and Norway have emphasised the importance of diplomacy in resolving conflicts. International issues were an important part of the discussions. We exchanged views on the need to uphold a rules-based international order and strengthen multilateral institutions, including the UN and the WTO.
Norway believes there is clear scope for closer engagement with India on diplomacy, de-escalation efforts, and broader support for a stable, rules-based global order.
In light of the backlash to the viral interaction involving Helle Lyng, as well as criticism over a Norwegian publication’s depiction of PM Modi as a ‘snake charmer’, which many in India have called racist, how do Norwegian authorities assess these developments? Do they believe such instances reflect responsible journalism, or do they risk undermining the spirit of diplomatic engagement during high-level visits?
Espen Barth Eide: Press freedom and freedom of speech are important human rights and integral to Norwegian society. It is not my role to comment on the work and conduct of journalists.
