On March 5, 2021, a Virtual Summit was held between the Prime Minister (PMs) of India Narendra Modi & Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden, Stefan Lofven.
- This is the Fifth Interaction between the two PMs since 2015.
- The key areas of discussion were Healthcare, Biotech, Smart Cities, Smart Grid, Circular Economy & Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Major events during the Summit
- Both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as elderly care, infection control, digitalization, Non-Communicable diseases & start-ups.
- They also welcomed the creation of a Sweden-India Health Hub at AIIMS-Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
- Both PMs welcomed the progress made in Scientific collaborations such as Polar Research & Polar Expeditions. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India & Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
- They agreed to intensify their collaboration within the framework of the Arctic Council to address global environmental protection & combat climate change.
- Joint Projects on innovation, climate & health cooperation were launched to fight the pandemic and building stronger, greener & more equal societies.
Joint Statements between PM Narendra Modi & PM Stefan Lofven:
- The launch of a second joint industrial R&D call on Smart and Sustainable Cities, Transport Systems, Clean Technologies and Digitalization and Internet of Things under India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research & Development Programme.
- India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research & Development Programme on Smart Grids.
- MoU on Aviation Knowledge Exchange and Technical Transfer Programme.
- MoU on cooperation between financial services to enhance cross-border participation and promote knowledge sharing.
Note – Sweden assumed the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2021.
India-EU+27 Leaders’ Meeting
Both sides stated that the India-European Union (EU)+27 Leaders’ Meeting which is to be held in Portugal in May 2021 will be a major milestone in the relationship between India & the EU.
Sweden Joins ISA
Sweden announced its decision to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) which was initiated by India in 2015 for efficient consumption of Solar Energy.
Reaffirmation of Commitment to LeadIT
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Global Initiative called ‘the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT)’.
- The organization gather countries & companies which are committed to achieving the Paris Agreement.
- LeadIT currently has 29 member states and industries that work towards accelerating transition of all industry sectors to low carbon pathways in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, while pursuing efforts to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
- It was launched in 2019.
Defence Collaboration: Gripen Fighter Aircraft
The Two PMs also discussed defence collaborations.
- PM Modi invited Swedish Defence firms to participate in the ‘Make in India’ programme in the 2 Defence Production Corridors in Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh.
Gripen Fighter Aircrafts
Swedish Company Saab expressed its interest to manufacture its Gripen Fighter Aircraft in India.
- About this, the PMs of both countries stated that Defence is an important area of collaboration.
- Saab’s Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) has already been selected by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the electronic warfare self-protection system for Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv).
Recent Related News:
i.On September 4, 2020, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) signed an MoU with India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre (ISIC) to identify and find innovations to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible for all.
About Sweden:
Capital – Stockholm
Currency – Swedish Krona
