pm modi norway visit – Artifex.News

PM Modi receives Norway’s highest civilian honour

admin — Mon, 18 May 2026 13:57:00 +0000

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) receives Norway’s top honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, during a ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
| Photo Credit: YouTube/@NarendraModi via PTI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday (May 18, 2026) conferred with Norway’s highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, for his contribution to advancing the India-Norway relationship and his leadership.

This is Prime Minister Modi’s 32nd international honour.

Also read: PM Modi’s Norway visit highlights on May 18, 2026

King Harald V of Norway conferred upon PM Modi the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

“Honoured to receive the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. This honour is dedicated to the people of India and is a tribute to the enduring friendship between India and Norway. It reflects our shared commitment to global progress,” PM Modi said on social media.

Prime Minister Modi described the honour as a reflection of the affection and goodwill between the people of India and Norway.

The Grand Cross is the highest grade of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. It is awarded for exceptional service in advancing Norway’s interests and international relations.

A day earlier, PM Modi was awarded Sweden’s prestigious ‘Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross’ in recognition of his exceptional contributions to bilateral ties and his visionary leadership.

The award is Sweden’s highest honour conferred on foreign Heads of Government.

PM Modi arrived in Oslo earlier in the day on a two-day visit from Sweden. This is PM Modi’s maiden visit to Norway and marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 43 years.

Published – May 18, 2026 07:17 pm IST

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PM Modi calls for peaceful resolution of conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine

admin — Mon, 18 May 2026 13:33:00 +0000

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Store, in Oslo on Monday, May 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: DPR PMO via ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (May 18, 2026) called for a resolution of the West Asia crisis and the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, asserting that military action alone cannot achieve lasting peace.

Mr. Modi made the remarks after holding wide-ranging talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that focused on boosting the overall trajectory of bilateral relations.

“India and Norway, both, believe in a rules-based order, dialogue, and diplomacy. We agree that no issue can be resolved through military conflict alone,” Mr. Modi said in his televised statement to the media.

“Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support every effort for the early end of the conflict and for peace,” he said.

Mr. Modi met Mr. Store hours after he landed in Oslo from Sweden as part of his four-nation European tour.

In his remarks, the Prime Minister also underlined the need for reform of the global institutions.

“We also agree on this point that reforming global institutions is essential for addressing the growing global challenges.” “And eradicating terrorism in every form from its roots is our shared commitment,” he noted.

Mr. Modi also complimented Norway for its support to India following last year’s Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

“I was supposed to visit Norway last year, but had to postpone that trip due to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. During that difficult time, Norway stood firmly with India against terrorism, demonstrating true friendship,” he said.

“Today, as I visit Norway, I express my heartfelt gratitude for that solidarity,” he said.

Mr. Modi also hailed Norway’s decision to join the India-led Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

“As two major maritime nations, we will work together to strengthen cooperation in the marine economy, maritime security, and capacity building,” he said.

Published – May 18, 2026 07:03 pm IST

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Trade, energy, discussions on global conflicts to top agenda for Modi’s Nordic visit

admin — Sun, 17 May 2026 17:24:00 +0000

Trade and energy supplies will top the agenda as Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands here on Monday (May 18, 2026) for the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway, one of the world’s major oil and gas exporters.

Mr. Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and both leaders will address a business summit as both countries seek new markets and new technological collaborations.

The visit will also include the 3rd Nordic-India summit, bringing together leaders of the five Nordic Countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark on Tuesday (May 19, 2026). The summit had to be cancelled last year after the Pahalgam terrorist attacks and the four-day India-Pakistan conflict. In addition, discussions on the conflicts in Ukraine, Iran and Gaza are expected to come up in both bilateral and multilateral discussions.

Mr. Modi’s talks with Mr. Støre will be an opportunity to take stock of the progress on the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, which came into force in October 2025.

On Monday (May 18), India and Norway are expected to announce three government-to-government MoUs in health cooperation, digital infrastructure and space ties, while at least 18 MoUs are expected between businesses during the visit, many of which will be in the field of energy.

“We are discussing more and more what we can do together on energy, and we are expecting several business-to-business MOUs on the energy side,” Norwegian Ambassador to India May-Elin Stener told The Hindu, citing a big consignment of LNG delivered to India last week, part of a 15-year agreement with Norwegian energy major Equinor, which will also help with fertilizer production.

In addition, India hopes to discuss more investment from Norwegian pension funds, the world’s wealthiest, the MEA said in a briefing last week.

“Another investment that we get from Norway, for instance, is from the Government Pension Fund, which is about $28 billion. And we are looking to increase the investment that they have in Indian capital markets,” Puja Kapur, Additional Secretary (North Europe) said.

According to MEA figures, more than 700 Nordic companies operate in India, and around 150 Indian companies have a presence in Nordic regions.

India’s bilateral trade in goods and services is well below potential, say experts, with about $19 billion with Nordic countries, and both sides are seeking more collaborations. Mumbai-based biotech start-up founder Ashvany Bansal, owner of Shashvi Biotech, who has patented phyto-therapeutic medicines for oncological treatment, says Nordic countries are important investors in research in particular. Mr. Bansal, who will join the business summit on Monday, said he is hopeful of finding laboratory certification support and research investment during the visit.

The timing of Mr. Modi’s visit to Norway and the Nordic Summit is also significant, given that the leaders are converging for the first time since 2022, and the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel’s attack on Gaza after the October 7 attacks and the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, all are having an impact on the global economy.

“The world has changed a lot since [the last Nordic-India Summit]. So, all five Nordic countries are really looking forward to discussing geopolitical issues with the leader of the most populous country, and there will also be a lot of discussions on climate, on green future sustainability and how we can work closely together as democracies,” Ambassador Stener said.

All eyes will also be on India’s response to U.S. sanctions waivers on Russian oil, which lapsed on Saturday (May 16), and whether that will mean a decline in India’s imports of Russian oil.

Published – May 17, 2026 10:48 pm IST

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