Crafting a green & blue chapter in India- Norway strategic partnership

Oslo: Green and blue is the way to go for India-Norway relations. On a summer afternoon, the prime ministers of the two countries transformed and elevated Delhi-Oslo relations to the level of strategic green partnership that will pivot around enhanced collaboration in renewable energy, critical technologies and innovation.

In the land of the midnight sun, the faces of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store shone as they spoke enthusiastically about forging a “trusted, futuristic, and long-term partnership,” that will combine India’s scale, speed, and talent with Norway’s technology and capital.

The talks culminated in twelve tangible outcomes spanning areas ranging from green energy and technology to space, maritime security and counterterrorism.

Under the green strategic partnership, Indian and Norwegian companies will develop global solutions across sectors – from clean energy to climate resilience, and from the blue economy to green shipping.

New Frontiers

“From the Arctic to outer space, from green shipping to blue economy, and from energy security to food security, our cooperation is reaching new frontiers,” PM Modi said at a joint press conference with his Norwegian counterpart.

“Let us write a new chapter of a trusted, futuristic, and long-term partnership through our Green Strategic Partnership,” said PM Modi, with the Norwegian leader smiling with approval.

Strategic Connect

Expanding the canvas of India-Norway strategic partnership, Oslo joined the India-led Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative that will advance free, open, peaceful and prosperous region and enhance cooperation in maritime security. In an age of poly-crisis, with the world order crumbling under the weight of multiple conflicts, the Norwegian leader called for proactive coordination with India to protect a ruled-based world order and jointly fight against the weaponisation of everything.

“We have to stand up against those who weaponize diplomacy, who weaponize trade, and who weaponize technology. At a time of rising protectionism and more tense geopolitical dynamics, it is more important than ever to stand together for a rule-based order,” said Prime Minister Store.

Imparting a global dimension to this 2.0 phase of their partnership, India and Norway launched triangular development cooperation, which will entail working for countries of the Global South through India’s Digital Public Infrastructure projects.

The Road Ahead

In a pointed message to world powers who are cynically waging wars for their personal ends, PM Modi underlined that “no issue can be resolved through military conflict.”

“India and Norway both believe in a rules-based order, dialogue, and diplomacy. We are in agreement that no issue can be resolved through military conflict,” said PM Modi.

“Whether it is Ukraine or West Asia, we support and will continue to support, every effort toward an early end to the conflicts and the restoration of peace.”

Galvanised by the landmark India-EU Free Trade Area agreement and India-EETA pact, the sky is limit for India-Norway and India-Nordic economic ties.

“In economy, trade has been doubled over the past 10 years. We now have a free trade agreement between EFTA countries and India with great expectations and ambitions; one of the most important trade agreements we have ever signed,” said the Norwegian leader.

Be it green energy or blue economy, India-Norway relations are set to scale new frontiers and could serve as isle of purposeful collaboration between the two like-minded democracies in a turbulent and fraught world.

(Manish Chand is CEO, Centre for Global India Insights, a think tank focused on global affairs, and Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network. He is in Oslo to report and analyse PM Modi’s visit to Norway)