At briefing with Swedish counterpart, PM Modi takes veiled dig at Pak, vows to continue fight against terror
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a veiled dig against Pakistan over terrorism. He, meanwhile, also said India and Sweden are increasing their cooperation in the defence sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a veiled dig at Pakistan and said terrorism remains a problem for the entire humanity, as he vowed to continue India's fight against it.
In a joint press meet with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister also thanked Sweden for its support to India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that had claimed 26 innocent lives.
"India and Sweden believe that terrorism a huge problem for the entire humanity. I thank PM Kristersson for Sweden's support after last year's Pahalgam terror attack. We will continue our fight against terrorism and those who support it," he said.
The prime minister further said India and Sweden would continue increasing their cooperation in the defence sector, adding that the two countries working on a long-term industrial partnership in this regard.
PM Modi also thanked European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen for her presence during his Sweden visit. He said during Leyen's India visit in January this year, several historic decisions were taken to strengthen New Delhi's partnership with the European Union (EU).
He also said the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will unlock new opportunities for industries, investors, and innovators. The prime minister also thanked Sweden for conferring him with the country's highest honour, the Order of the Polar Star.
"The relationship between India and Sweden rests upon a strong foundation of democratic values, the rule of law, and human-centric development. Both our nations view innovation as a vehicle for development, regard sustainability as a shared responsibility, and consider democracy to be our greatest strength," he said.
'2047 holds a special meaning in India'
During the presser, Kristersson said he knows 2047 holds a special meaning for India, as the country would marks its 100th year of Independence in that year. He said PM Modi has laid out a clear vision of making India 'viksit' (developed) by 2047, and Sweden and the EU will part of New Delhi's journey in it.
Talking about PM Modi's Sweden visit, Kristersson said it would mark another milestone in the relationship between the two nations. He said India and Sweden have also launched a strategic partnership and a joint action plan for their shared objectives.
"Today somewhere around 300 Swedish companies operate in India, many of them with their own production capabilities. And this relationship is growing as Indian companies also increasingly invest here in Sweden," Kristersson noted.
Meanwhile, Leyen - who was also present at the press meet - spoke about India-EU FTA and said the two sides have a shared market of over two billion people that is close to one quarter of global GDP. She described the FTA as 'mother of all deals' once again, asserting that it will create more job opportunities for India and the EU.
"I'm also pleased to announce that we will mark this moment with a large scale business event for European and Indian companies, and the aim is simple, we want to give business the information and guidance they need to start benefiting from the deal from day one onwards. But trade is only half of the equation. Our next step must be to deliver an investment agreement," she said.
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