Sweden focusing on deeper ties with India, stands firmly in fight against terrorism: Envoy
Swedish Ambassador called India as the “pharmacy to the world” and further said that the EU country is focusing on deeper ties in science, technology with India
- World News
- 4 min read
Swedish Ambassador Klas Molin recently called India as the “pharmacy to the world” and further said that the EU country is focusing on deeper ties in science and technology with the nation. In an interview with PTI, Molin spoke about India and Sweden’s fight against terrorism, expansion of bilateral cooperation and both the countries fight against the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. Molin said that overall bilateral ties between India and Sweden have been excellent and that both sides are looking at border cooperation in eight key areas including innovation, trade and investments, health and defence.
While speaking about the long-pending free-trade agreement between India and European Union, Molin said that there is still some work to be done in calibrating expectations and scope on both sides, noting that it will be mutually beneficial for both sides. The Swedish envoy also said that the two countries stand “firmly and unequivocally” in the fight against terrorism even as he noted the growing Indian role in the Indo-Pacific region. Further, speaking about COVID-19, Molin said that the pandemic has focused the worlds thinking and cooperation in health and in life science has increased.
The ambassador said, “India is the pharmacy to the world and some of our companies, some already established here, some venturing here now, are looking for new matchups. AstraZeneca is a well-known example, currently in phase three trials for a COVID-vaccine, but also researching and developing in India in other areas”.
India-Sweden stand ‘firmly’ against terrorism
When asked about security issues, Molin said that India and Sweden stand together in the fight against terrorism. He noted that India is taking on a growing role in the Indo-Pacific and is deepening its cooperation with other countries, both regional and from outside, in order to protect its interests and guarantee free navigation of the safe maritime passage in international waters. He added that the International community has an interest in protecting these common goods as well as in combating terrorism.
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While speaking about the border row between India and China in Ladakh, Molin said that tensions of this kind that lead to the loss of lives are naturally very serious. He said, “I think it’s safe to say that there have already been some repercussions and consequences, for instance in the economic and tech fields”. “Hopefully, the talks underway will lead to a de-escalation and a more stable situation,” he added.
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EU-India Summit might ‘pay way for resumption of negotiations’
Furthermore, in reference to the proposed India-EU FTA, the Swedish envoy hoped that the decisions taken at this year’s summit between the two sides will pave the way for the resumption of negotiations. He said that Sweden firmly believes that an FTA would be mutually very beneficial, however, he also noted that there is still some work to be done in calibrating expectations and scope on both sides.
Molin said, “This year's EU-India Summit opened on a high-level economic dialogue. Hopefully, this will pave the way for resumption of negotiations”.
India and Sweden are on an upswing in the last few years. Back in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also visited Stockholm during which both the countries agreed to further deepen innovation partnership for a sustainable future. When asked about Sweden-India Nobel memorial week, Molin said that the programmed comprised several elements which strengthen the synergies that the two countries hare as partners with complementarities.
The Swedish ambassador said, “We are also envisaging a virtual interaction between Swedish Trade Minister Anna Hallberg and the 200 plus Swedish companies in India, where the minister would give her outlook on global trade and investment scenarios, and more specifically trends for Sweden and Swedish industry in the ongoing pandemic”.