PM Modi to embark on 5-nation trip to UAE and 4 European countries this week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a fiveday May 15 May 20 visit to the United Arab Emirates UAE the Netherlands Sweden Norway and Italy beginning Friday to further deepen Indias bilateral ties amid the ongoing geopolitical upheavalsUAE Visit to Focus on Strategic PartnershipPM Modis first destination will be the UAE where he will meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with an aim to advance the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and exchange views on the West Asia conflictThe two leaders will have the opportunity to exchange views on bilateral issues in particular energy cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest the Ministry of External Affairs MEA said on MondayTrade Investment and Indian Community in FocusIt said the visit will serve to promote the significant trade and investment linkages between the two countriesThe UAE is Indias thirdlargest trade partner and its seventhlargest source of investment cumulatively over the past 25 yearsWith the UAE hosting over 45 millionstrong Indian community the visit will also be an opportunity to discuss their welfare the MEA saidNetherlands Visit Scheduled From May 1517In the second leg of his trip PM Modi will visit the Netherlands from May 15 to 17 This will be his second trip to the Netherlands following his visit in 2017The prime minister will meet King WillemAlexander and Queen Maxima and hold talks with Prime Minister Rob JettenFocus on Defence Green Hydrogen and SemiconductorsPM Modis visit will build on the momentum of highlevel engagements and close cooperation spanning diverse sectors including defence security innovation green hydrogen semiconductors and a strategic partnership on water according to the MEAIt said his visit will provide an opportunity to further deepen and expand the multifaceted partnershipStrong Trade Ties With NetherlandsThe Netherlands is one of Indias largest trade destinations in Europe with bilateral trade worth USD 278 billion in 202425 The European nation is Indias fourthlargest investor with cumulative foreign direct investment of USD 556 billionSweden Visit to Include Talks on AI and Green TransitionFrom the Netherlands the prime minister will travel to Sweden at the invitation of his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson for a twoday trip from May 17 to 18PM Modi had earlier visited Sweden in 2018 for the firstever IndiaNordic SummitThe prime minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with PM Kristersson to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation to enhance bilateral trade which has reached USD 775 billion in 2025European Industry Forum Also on AgendaIn their talks the two sides are set to focus on boosting bilateral ties in areas of green transition AI emerging technologies startups resilient supply chains defence space climate action and peopletopeople tiesThe two prime ministers will also address the European Round Table for Industry a leading panEuropean business leaders forum along with Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission the MEA said in a statementNorway Visit Marks Historic MilestoneIn the fourth leg of his visit PM Modi will be in Norway from May 18 to 19 to attend the third IndiaNordic summit as well as to hold bilateral talks with the leadership of the countryThis will be the first visit of PM Modi to Norway It will also mark the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Norway in 43 yearsIndiaNorway Business and Research Summit PlannedPM Modi will call on King Harald V and Queen Sonja and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StorePM Modi will also address the IndiaNorway Business and Research Summit along with the Norwegian Prime Minister according to the MEAFocus on Trade Green Tech and Blue EconomyThe visit will provide an opportunity to review the progress made in IndiaNorway relations and explore avenues to further strengthen them with a focus on trade and investment capitalising on the IndiaEFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement as well as on clean and green tech and blue economy it saidIndiaNordic Summit in Oslo on May 19The third IndiaNordic summit will take place in Oslo on May 19 and it will be joined by PM Modi and his counterparts from Norway Denmark Finland Iceland and SwedenThe MEA said the summit will build upon the two previous summits held in Stockholm in April 2018 and in Copenhagen in May 2022 and will impart a more strategic dimension to Indias relationship with the Nordic countriesSummit to Discuss Technology and Renewable EnergyThe summit is expected to focus on enhancing twoway ties in areas of technology and innovation green transition and renewable energy sustainability blue economy defence space and the ArcticFinal Leg of Tour to ItalyIn the final leg of his visit PM Modi will undertake an official visit to Italy from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Giorgia MeloniPM Modi had last visited Italy in June 2024 for the G7 Summit During the visit he will call on President Sergio Mattarella and hold talks with PM MeloniIndiaItaly Ties Gain MomentumThe visit takes place in the backdrop of a strong momentum in bilateral ties with both sides proactively implementing the joint strategic action plan 20252029 a comprehensive road map for cooperation in various sectors the MEA saidThe IndiaItaly bilateral trade reached USD 1677 billion in 2025Focus on Investment Defence and Clean EnergyThe focus of PM Modis trip to Italy is likely to bolster ties in areas of investment defence and security clean energy innovation and science and technologyThe prime ministers upcoming visit will further deepen Indias partnership with Europe across sectors particularly trade and investment ties in light of the recently concluded IndiaEU free trade agreement the MEA said