President Pranab Mukherjee has said that his visit to Sweden and Belarus reflected the renewed emphasis that New Delhi places on enhancing partnership with the two countries and added that both countries have been supportive of India's claim for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
President Mukherjee said that India and Sweden have shared multi-faceted and mutually beneficial relations over several decades. He said that Belarus is India's key partner in the wider Eurasian region with many strengths.
"My visits to Sweden and Belarus were first visits ever by an Indian President to either country. They reflect the renewed emphasis that India places on further enhancing our partnership with these two countries. Both countries have been supportive of India's claim for permanent membership of the UN Security Council. I took the opportunity to brief both leaderships on the economic situation in India as well as about policy initiatives of the government," President Mukherjee said in a statement after the conclusion of his visit to Sweden and Belarus.
The President stated that his visit to Sweden was to strengthen bilateral economic ties and to provide impetus to cooperation in specific areas of priority in which the European nation has established strengths.
"Sweden is one of the top three innovative nations in the world as well as a leader in smart urbanization, transport and waste management, green technologies, renewable energy, health, education and research. Six intergovernmental agreements were concluded, covering cooperation in the fields of urban development, medium and small-scale enterprises, polar research, civil nuclear research and medicine," he said.
"Seventeen MoUs were further signed between educational institutions, think tanks and the Chambers of Commerce of the two countries," he added.
President Mukherjee said that Sweden had expressed its support for India's membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime.
Also Read
"They also reiterated their firm support for India's claim for a permanent seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council. The Swedish Prime Minister readily agreed to my suggestion that we seek to enhance our bilateral trade to 5 billion US dollars in the next three years. The Swedish side also expressed their keenness for the conclusion of negotiations on the India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement," he said.
On Belarus visit, the President said that time had come to elevate India-Belarus relations to a higher trajectory.
He said that both nations should build on the enormous potential in trade and investment, defence cooperation, science and technology as well as educational and academic linkages.
"I suggested to Belarus President Lukashenko that we engage on a four-fold framework for enhanced cooperation comprising regular political and institutional dialogue, rapid increase in commercial and economic interaction, a paradigm shift in defence cooperation towards joint research, design and manufacturing as well as wide-ranging expansion of our science and technology, educational, cultural and people-to-people exchanges," he said.
"Seven MOUs were signed between Indian and Belarusian Universities and Institutes. I was honoured to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the prestigious Belarus State University campus. The University conferred upon me Professor Honoris Causa, which I was pleased to accept as manifestation of the high regard and affection of the people of Belarus towards India," he added.
Finally, President Mukherjee thanked both the countries for warm hospitality extended to him and the Indian delegation and added that the visit had deepened mutually beneficial relations.