'Modi's visit to Denmark to shape up new components of partnership'

New Delhi, May 1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Denmark will provide an opportunity to shape up new components of partnership in the field of skill development, shipping, agricultural technology and mobility, an official said on Sunday.

The Prime Minister will travel to Copenhagen on an official visit at the invitation of Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen on May 3, after finishing the first leg of the tour of Germany, newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said.

Leaders of all five Nordic countries, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, will participate in the summit that will focus on clean technology, climate change, renewables among other issues.

The first India-Nordic summit took place in Sweden's capital Stockholm in April of 2018, a format that brings together India along with all the countries in the Nordic or Northern European countries.

In a special briefing on Sunday on Modi's Europe visit, Kwatra said this will be the Prime Minister's first visit to Denmark, but his third summit-level interaction with his Danish counterpart.

During the meetings in Copenhagen, both leaders will focus on bilateral issues as well as matters related to regional and global interest, and later, they will also interact with the business leaders of both countries under the auspices of the India-Denmark Business forum.

The Foreign Secretary also said that Prime Minister Modi will also call on the Danish Queen Margrethe II who would also host an official dinner for the Prime Minister.

"Like in Germany, the Prime Minister will interact with the members of the Indian Diaspora during a community event," he added.

"There is also a joint action plan for five years, essentially focusing on the specifics of this partnership besides the ongoing co-operation in the field of wind energy, water management, circular economy, shipping, and smart cities," the Foreign Secretary noted.

On the sidelines of the Summit in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, Modi will also meet the leaders of the other four Nordic countries and review the progress in India's bilateral relations with them, the Prime Minister said in a statement issued by the PMO before his departure for the three-day tour of Europe on Sunday .

Nordic countries are important partners for India in sustainability, renewable energy, digitisation and innovation. The visit will help in expanding our multifaceted cooperation with the Nordic region, the statement said.

The discussions between both the leaders will focus on bilateral issues as well as issues of regional and global interest.

"Like in Germany, in Denmark too, the Prime Minister will interact with the members of the Indian diaspora during a community event," Kwatra added.