Ukraine war in focus at India-nordic talks

NEW DELHI: India and the five Nordic countries on Wednesday condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities while affirming their support for a rules-based international order. During a summit in Copenhagen between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterparts from Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway, the six countries discussed the “destabilising effect” of the conflict in Ukraine and its regional and global implications.

The meeting reviewed progress in India-nordic relations since the first summit held in Stockholm in 2018, and the leaders discussed multilateral cooperation in areas such as post-pandemic economic recovery, the climate crisis, sustainable development, digitalisation, and green growth.

There were also discussions on cooperation in the maritime sector and sustainable ocean management, and Modi invited the Nordic companies to invest in the blue economy, especially India’s “Sagarmala” project. Modi noted India’s Arctic Policy is a good framework for expanding cooperation with the Nordic states. He also invited the sovereign wealth funds of the Nordic countries to invest in India.

During the discussions, the six PMS expressed serious concern about the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. “They unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine. They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities,” said a joint statement issued after the summit.