India and Iceland discusses 50 years of diplomatic relations

Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, held a conversation with Iceland Foreign Minister Thordis K Gylfadottir and discussed the importance of 50 years of diplomatic relations between both the countries, following up on the recent India-Nordic Summit. This conversation came after Iceland openly supported Finland’s decision to apply for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) membership. Gylfadottir said that it agrees that Finland in the defence alliance would strengthen Finland and NATO’s security. During the 2nd India-Nordic Summit, PM Narendra Modi invited Nordic companies to invest in the Blue Economy sector, including the Sagarmala project and urged the sovereign wealth funds of the Nordic countries to invest in Indian projects. Under the Sagarmala Programme, over 800 projects at an estimated cost of around Rs 5.48 lakh crore have been identified for implementation. The Sagarmala Programme includes various projects, including the modernisation of existing ports and terminals, new ports and terminals, inland waterways, lighthouse tourism and skill development, etc. Jaishankar told the media that they discussed multilateral co-operation in post-Covid-19 pandemic economic recovery, climate change, sustainable development, innovation, digitalisation, green and clean energy growth, and co-operation in the maritime sector, focusing on sustainable ocean management. According to a statement, several Prime Ministers agreed to work together to fight and address climate change issues and protect the natural environment under the Paris Agreement. Image Source Also read: Centre identifies over 800 projects under Sagarmala Programme