Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial escort from Swedish Gripen fighter jets as his aircraft entered Swedish airspace on Sunday ahead of his arrival in Gothenburg. The aerial visuals showed Swedish Air Force jets flying alongside the Prime Minister’s aircraft during the final leg of the journey, underlining the high-level diplomatic welcome extended to him during his Sweden visit. After landing in Gothenburg, PM Modi was warmly received at the airport by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Sweden visit part of five-nation foreign tour
The Prime Minister is currently on the third leg of his five-nation Europe and West Asia tour. His diplomatic trip includes visits to the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. Interestingly, this is the second time during the tour that PM Modi’s aircraft has received a fighter jet escort. Earlier, during his visit to the UAE, his plane was escorted by F-16 fighter jets after entering Emirati airspace.
Focus on trade, AI and defence cooperation
PM Modi’s two-day visit to Sweden on May 17 and 18 is expected to focus on strengthening ties in areas such as trade, artificial intelligence, green technology, defence cooperation and climate action.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Delegation-level discussions are also expected to focus on innovation, emerging technologies and investment opportunities between the two countries.
According to the Swedish government, PM Modi and Kristersson will jointly interact with leading European industry executives during the visit. The two leaders are also expected to address the European Round Table for Industry along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Officials say the meetings are aimed at expanding economic cooperation and boosting partnerships in advanced technology and sustainable industries.
PM Modi’s second visit to Sweden
This marks Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to Sweden. He had earlier visited Stockholm in 2018 to attend the first India-Nordic Summit. With India looking to deepen ties with Nordic countries in innovation and clean technology sectors, the Sweden visit is being seen as an important step in expanding long-term strategic and economic cooperation between the two nations.
