PM Modi departs for Denmark; thanks German govt for hospitality

Berlin, May 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday departed for Copenhagen in Denmark from Berlin to begin the second leg of his visit to the three European nations.

Ahead of his departure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the German government for their hospitality during his "productive" visit. "My Germany visit has been a productive one. The talks with @Bundeskanzler Scholz were extensive and so were the Inter-Governmental Consultations. I got a great opportunity to interact with business and Indian community leaders. I thank the German Government for their hospitality," he tweeted. Also Read | BSF troops seize heroin worth crores in Punjab's Abohar, Amritsar Meanwhile, PM Modi's visit to Denmark will provide India an opportunity to shape new elements of partnership in the field of skill development, shipping, agri-technology, and mobility, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Sunday. Notably, this will be the Prime Minister's first visit to Denmark, but his third summit-level interaction with his Danish counterpart. The discussions between both leaders will focus on bilateral issues as well as issues of regional and global interest. PM Modi and Frederiksen will later also interact with the business leaders of both countries under the auspices of the India-Denmark Business forum. Kwatra further said PM Modi would also pay a call on Danish Queen Margrethe II who would also host an official dinner for the Prime Minister. "Like in Germany, in Denmark too, the Prime Minister will interact with the members of the Indian diaspora during a community event," he added. The foreign secretary noted that the substance of the partnership with Denmark has many significant pillars that include a green-strategic partnership which is a model of cooperation that focuses on renewable energy, sustainability, and green growth. "There is also a joint action plan for five years essentially focusing on the specifics of this partnership besides the ongoing cooperation in the field of wind energy, water management, circular economy, shipping, and smart cities," he stated. Also Read | India logs 2,568 new Covid-19 infections; active caseload 19,137 Kwatra informed that on May 4, PM Modi will participate in the second India-Nordic summit with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. However, prior to the start of the summit, PM Modi will also hold bilateral summit meetings with the leaders of Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden. Notably, India is the only country apart from the US with whom the Nordic countries have summit-level meetings. PM Modi will also make a stopover in Paris on Wednesday and meet newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron. -PTC News