Nordic prime ministers strongly condemn Russian war on Ukraine at 2nd summit with India

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - The prime ministers of the five Nordic countries reiterated their strong condemnation of the unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine by Russian forces at the second India-Nordic summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

In a joint statement released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the prime ministers expressed their serious concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in the country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen participated in the summit, which was hosted by the Danish prime minister.

“They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states. They discussed the destabilizing effect of the conflict in Ukraine and its broader regional and global implications. Both sides agreed to remain closely engaged on the issue,” said the statement.

The summit provided an opportunity to review the progress of India-Nordic relations since the first India-Nordic Summit, which was held in 2018 in Stockholm, said an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

“Discussions were held on multilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, sustainable development, innovation, digitalization, and green and clean growth,” the statement said.

Discussions were also held on cooperation in the maritime sector, with a focus on sustainable ocean management. Modi invited Nordic companies to invest in India’s Blue Economy sector, especially in its Sagarmala project, according to the statement.

India’s partnership with the Nordic region in the Arctic region was also discussed.

Modi also invited the sovereign wealth funds of the Nordic countries to invest in India.