Indian PM seeks trade, energy stability on UAE-Europe tour

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a five-nation tour on Friday, heading to the United Arab Emirates before Europe, overshadowed by energy and supply-chain worries due to the Iran war.

Disruptions around Gulf shipping routes and the Strait of Hormuz continue to drive volatility in oil and gas markets, increasing pressure on energy-importing economies, including India.

But the trip also reflects India’s wider effort to diversify economic and strategic partnerships while positioning itself as a major manufacturing and technology hub.

The six-day trip, which will include visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, comes after India and the European Union sealed a free trade agreement in January, dubbed by Modi as the “mother of all deals.”

The EU has long eyed India — the world’s most populous nation — as a key market.

Modi’s visit will “deepen India’s partnership with Europe… particularly trade and investment ties in light of the recently concluded India-EU FTA,” New Delhi’s foreign ministry said.

Modi is also attending a Nordic summit in Oslo on his first visit to Norway — and the first by an Indian prime minister in 43 years — which commentators said shows growing engagement with Northern Europe.

“For India, an engagement with the Nordic countries is strategically timed to position the country as a trusted economic, technological and clean energy partner in a rapidly changing global order,” Anil Wadhwa, a retired Indian ambassador including to Italy and Poland, told AFP.

“India stands to benefit from the diversification from China, and the recently concluded India-EU free trade agreement has already created momentum,” he added.