India, Sweden Elevate Ties to Strategic Partnership During PM Modi’s Gothenburg Visit

Gothenburg (Sweden), May 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Sunday held extensive bilateral talks in Gothenburg and announced the elevation of India-Sweden relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership, marking a major step forward in ties between the two nations.

The high-level meeting was also attended by Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, who conveyed warm greetings from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to Prime Minister Modi. During the interaction, PM Modi extended his best wishes to the Swedish monarch on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

According to a statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and acknowledged the growing momentum in cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, innovation, green transition, defence and security, emerging technologies, digitalisation, space, research, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

Following the talks, Prime Minister Modi described the discussions as “wonderful” and highlighted the strong democratic values that bind the two countries together.

“India-Sweden relations are built on the strong foundations of democratic values, rule of law and human-centric development. Considering our growing cooperation in every field, we decided to elevate our relations to a Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

He added that the discussions covered expanding cooperation in trade, defence, climate change, innovation, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

The newly announced Strategic Partnership will be guided by four broad pillars — Strategic Dialogue for Stability and Security, Next-Generation Economic Partnership, Emerging Technologies and Trusted Connectivity, and Shaping Tomorrow Together through cooperation in people-centric development, health, sustainability and resilience.

To implement the upgraded partnership framework, both countries adopted the India-Sweden Joint Action Plan 2026-2030, which lays out a comprehensive roadmap for collaboration in political, economic, technological, climate and security-related sectors over the next several years.

The MEA noted that both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties rooted in shared democratic values, innovation and research-driven cooperation. They also agreed on the importance of maintaining regular high-level political engagement and institutional dialogue mechanisms to guide the expanding partnership.

A key focus of the discussions was economic cooperation. The two Prime Ministers observed that the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement has opened a new chapter in India-Europe commercial relations and could significantly deepen trade, investment and technology linkages between India and Sweden.

Prime Minister Modi appreciated Sweden’s continued engagement with India in strategic sectors such as clean technology, sustainable mobility, advanced manufacturing and digital transformation. He also invited greater Swedish participation in India’s economic growth and development initiatives.

Prime Minister Kristersson, meanwhile, praised India’s progress in digital transformation and artificial intelligence. He also acknowledged the important contribution made by the Indian community to Sweden’s economy, innovation ecosystem and social development.

The leaders also exchanged views on major regional and global developments, including geopolitical stability, global economic challenges and multilateral reforms. Both sides stressed the urgent need for reforms in the United Nations and other international institutions to reflect present-day global realities.

Prime Minister Modi also thanked Sweden for its strong support in the global fight against terrorism and emphasised the need for continued international cooperation against terror networks and their supporters.

The two leaders further reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting peace, resilient supply chains, sustainable development and long-term economic growth amid an increasingly uncertain global environment.

PM Modi’s Sweden visit is part of his ongoing multi-nation diplomatic tour and marks his second visit to the Nordic country after attending the first India-Nordic Summit in 2018.