Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left on a five-day visit to Sweden and UK.
Mr Modi will reach Swedish capital Stockholm late night on the first leg of his two-nation European tour.
During his stay, Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with the heads many countries when he takes part in the first ever India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm tomorrow. He will also interact with the CEOs of the country and address the Indian Diaspora.
Ahead of his visit, Mr Modi said in a statement that this is his first visit to Sweden and the two nations share warm and friendly ties. He said, the partnership is based on democratic values and commitment to an open, inclusive and rule-based global order.
He said, Sweden is a valuable partner in India’s development initiatives. The Prime Minister said, he and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven will have the opportunity to interact with top business leaders and chart out a future road-map of cooperation.
He said, the focus will be on trade and investment, innovation, science and technology, skill development, smart cities, clean energy, digitization and health.
After Sweden, Mr Modi will travel to London on Wednesday to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
He will also address a unique event ‘Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath’. It will be a one-of-its-kind live interactive conversation in which the Prime Minister will answer questions concerning India.
In a tweet, Mr Modi said, he looks forward to the event and asked people to share their thoughts on Narendra Modi App or post videos on social media with #BharatKiBaatSabkeSaath.
The Prime Minister also said, his London visit presents another opportunity for both the countries to infuse fresh momentum to this growing bilateral engagement. He said, he will be focusing on enhancing India-UK partnership in the areas healthcare, innovation, digitization, electric mobility, clean energy, and cyber security.
Mr Modi will call on Queen Elizabeth II during his stay.
On his way back home, Mr Modi will have a brief stopover in Berlin on Friday.
He will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and exchange views on several bilateral, regional and global issues.
