Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed his second stop of the four nation Europe trip. He met his Swedish counterpart, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson . The Prime Minister had earlier visited Sweden in 2018 for the first-ever India-Nordic Summit.
The visit to Sweden was marked by several important outcomes that will add new momentum to India-Sweden relations.
The Tagore- Sweden Connection
PM Modi expressed his apprecition to the Swedish Prime Minister for presenting facsimiles of two handwritten epigrams by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, preserved in the Swedish National Archives."I am profoundly moved to receive facsimiles of two epigrams handwritten by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. My heartfelt thanks to the Government and people of Sweden for this thoughtful gift. It is a reflection of the long-standing cultural bond between our two nations,", posted the PM on his X (formerly Twitter).
The historical and cultural connection between Rabindranath Tagore and Sweden dates back over a century, established when he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
·The 1913 Nobel Prize: The Swedish Academy awarded the Literature Nobel to Tagore for his poetry collection Gitanjali. Because travel was restricted on the eve of World War I, he could not accept it in person. A British official read his famous telegram to the Academy, celebrating the award for "bringing the distant near".
·Historic Visits (1921 & 1926): Tagore finally travelled to Sweden in May 1921 to deliver his official Nobel lecture. He returned in 1926. During these visits, he was received formally by King Gustav V and engaged with prominent Swedish intellectuals.
·Uppsala Memorial: To celebrate 100 years of his Nobel accolade, a bronze bust of Tagore was installed at Uppsala University in 2014. The university also maintains a dedicated Chair in Indian Studies.
In return, PM Modi gifted the Swedish PM a complete set of Tagore's collected works and a handcrafted bag featuring motifs selected by Tagore, designed to empower artisans at Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan.
The Swedish Royal Star
PM Modi was conferred the Order of the North Star, also known as the Order of the Polar Star, which is intended as a reward for Swedish and foreign "civic merits, for devotion to duty, for science, literary, learned and useful works and for new and beneficial institutions".
The Outcomes of a Successful Meet
The PM's visit to Sweden had mainly six crucial outcomes-
·Strategic Partnership: Both nations elevated their bilateral relationship to a formal Strategic Partnership.
·Joint Innovation 2.0: Launch of the India-Sweden Joint Innovation Partnership 2.0 to enhance research and academic connections.
·Technology & AI Corridor: Endorsement to develop the India-Sweden Technology and Artificial Intelligence Corridor (SITAC).
·Trade Goals: Agreement to double bilateral economic exchange, trade, and investment within the next five years.
·SME & Startup Platform: Development of a dedicated platform to connect small-to-medium enterprises and startups between both countries.
·Cultural & Academic Ties: Institution of the 'Tagore-Sweden' Lecture Series to promote mutual knowledge exchange.