OSLO – India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, held a productive evening meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide in the Norwegian capital on Monday, focusing on critical global flashpoints and bilateral cooperation.
The two top diplomats exchanged views on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, as well as the evolving security dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region. The talks come amid a broader strategic push by both nations to elevate their partnership under the recently launched “Green Strategic Partnership.”
Minister Jaishankar is in Oslo as part of a high-level Indian delegation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on the first state visit by an Indian premier to Norway in over four decades. The evening dialogue between Jaishankar and Eide served to reinforce the growing convergence between New Delhi and Oslo on rules-based global governance.
Both ministers underscored that while their approaches to certain conflicts may differ, diplomacy and dialogue remain the only sustainable paths to peace. Norway has been a strong backer of Ukraine, while India continues to engage with Moscow. However, sources indicate that Norway values India’s ability to communicate with all parties, and both sides agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation in West Asia.
A key outcome of the broader bilateral discussions — which now include Norway’s formal accession to the India-led Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) — is the shared commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific. Ministers Jaishankar and Eide reviewed progress on:
· Maritime security cooperation in critical sea lanes.
· Sustainable marine economy including green shipping and port modernisation.
· Capacity building for smaller Indo-Pacific nations.
Beyond geopolitics, the two ministers also touched upon the economic and environmental pillars of the bilateral relationship. The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which entered force in October 2025, aims to mobilise $100 billion in investments into India over 15 years, creating up to one million jobs.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund already holds close to $30 billion in Indian markets, and both sides expressed confidence in scaling up cooperation in green hydrogen, offshore wind, and carbon capture.
The Jaishankar-Eide meeting signals that India and Norway are moving beyond traditional diplomacy towards a resilient, multi-domain partnership. As Prime Minister Modi prepares to attend the India-Nordic Summit, all eyes will be on how this strategic alignment translates into concrete action on global security, climate, and trade.
For Norway, deepening ties with the world’s most populous nation and fifth-largest economy is not just an opportunity — it is a strategic imperative in a fragmenting world order.
