Gothenburg (Sweden), May 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed gratitude to his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson for receiving him at the airport and stated that he looks forward to strengthening friendship between the two nations.

PM Modi arrived in Sweden at the invitation of Kristersson after concluding his visit to the Netherlands, where he held talks with Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, met the royal family and interacted with the Indian community.

Upon arrival in Sweden, PM Modi, in a post on X, said: “I am grateful for Prime Minister Kristersson’s kind gesture of receiving me at Gothenburg Airport. Looking forward to strengthening the friendship between India and Sweden during this important visit.”

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called Sweden an “important partner” of India and stated that PM Modi’s visit will impart fresh momentum to bilateral ties.

“God eftermiddag, Sverige! Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Gothenburg, Sweden. This is PM Modi’s second visit to Sweden. In a heartwarming gesture, PM Narendra Modi was received by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the airport. PM was given a special welcome upon his arrival,” Jaiswal posted on X.

“Sweden is an important partner for India in areas including technology, sustainability, innovation and Research and Development. The visit by Prime Minister Modi to Sweden will impart fresh momentum to the India-Sweden relationship,” he added.

Earlier, Swedish Gripen fighter jets escorted PM Modi’s plane as it entered Sweden.

During his visit, PMs Modi and Kristersson will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation to enhance bilateral trade, according to the statement released by the MEA.

The bilateral trade between the two nations has reached $7.75 billion (2025), and Swedish FDI into India has reached $2.825 billion (2000-2025), according to the MEA statement.

PMs Modi and Kristersson will address the European Round Table for Industry, a leading pan-European business leaders forum, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

PM Modi had earlier visited Sweden in 2018 for the first-ever India-Nordic Summit.

–IANS

akl/vd