The free trade agreements between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union (EU) with India are complementary and will help avoid over-dependence on some countries, Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said.
Eide stated that Norway and India, as seafaring nations, have been hit by the wars in Ukraine and West Asia and have a shared interest in supporting a rules-based order that works.
Norway and India have forged a new green strategic partnership, which is about shaping the future through sustainable economic growth that is renewable and geared towards better use of the world's resources.
Eide discussed the Strait of Hormuz, the war in Iran, and the situation in Ukraine with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, highlighting the importance of a system of rules-based international trade that works.
Norway has reservations about the extension of the waiver of US sanctions on Russian oil purchases and believes India can play a role in ending the war in Ukraine by underlining the importance of international law.
Eide stated that Norway would prefer the sanctions to remain in place, as they work, and that Russia is not winning the war in Ukraine.
He also mentioned that Norway has been affected by grey zone tactics blamed on Russia in recent months and that the country stands in solidarity with other nations affected by these hybrid threats.
Norway and India intend to work in third countries under their new digital cooperation agreement, which is massively important for digital cooperation.
Eide sees the free trade agreements between Norway and India as complementary to each other, as they strengthen the partnership between Norway and India, a fast-growing economy with the largest population in the world.
