India, Sweden review expanding partnership at 8th Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi
New Delhi, April 10. India and Sweden held the 8th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in New Delhi on April 9, taking stock of the growing depth and breadth of their bilateral partnership and identifying new avenues for cooperation across key sectors.
The consultations were co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sibi George from the Indian side and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dag Hartelius from Sweden.
India and Sweden share longstanding and friendly relations, marked by regular political and official engagements that have gained fresh momentum in recent years. Sweden continues to be an important partner for India within the European Union and the Nordic region.
During the discussions, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral ties, covering political exchanges, trade and investment, defence and security cooperation, innovation, green transition, sustainable development, emerging technologies and people-to-people links. They acknowledged steady progress in the relationship and reaffirmed their resolve to deepen collaboration in priority areas such as clean energy, climate action, digitalisation, defence cooperation and resilient supply chains.
The two delegations also noted that the recently concluded India-EU Free Trade Agreement has opened new opportunities for economic and commercial engagement. They agreed to work towards its early implementation to boost trade, investment flows and technology partnerships. In addition, both sides exchanged views on regional and global developments and discussed cooperation in multilateral forums.
The Swedish delegation appreciated India’s leadership role in global governance and its efforts in tackling contemporary global challenges, while the Indian side recognised Sweden’s strengths in innovation, sustainability and green technologies.
Both countries agreed to step up high-level exchanges and strengthen institutional mechanisms through regular sectoral dialogues and consultations.
During his visit, Hartelius also called on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, conveying Sweden’s interest in further expanding cooperation with India across diverse areas.
The next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be held in Sweden at a mutually agreed date.
