New Delhi, Sep 18 — Hailing ties between Norway and India, Norwegian Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, said on Friday that the relations between both nations have been growing and getting stronger by the day.

In an interview with IANS, Stener noted that the partnership between India and Norway is based on shared values and belief in a rules-based world order. She also recalled the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store during the Nordic-India Summit in Oslo, earlier this year.

"The relationship between Norway and India is very good, and it is a relation which is growing and getting stronger by the day. The business relations that I have already been talking about, they are being strengthened. The economic ties between our countries are growing, and I'm very happy to see that," said Ambassador May-Elin Stener while speaking on India-Norway ties.

"In addition, as was said by our Prime Ministers in Norway and also the other Nordic Prime Ministers when they met at the Nordic-India Summit in Oslo in May, this is also a partnership based on values. We are all democratic countries. So, it's based on shared values. We all believe in a rules-based world order and also happy to work with India on these issues in this world that is now more uncertain than it has been for a long time," she added.

PM Modi was on a two-day visit to Norway in May, where he participated in the India-Nordic Summit and held bilateral engagements. During the meeting, PM Modi and Jonas Gahr Store upgraded bilateral partnership to a Green Strategic Partnership.

Stener, who is completing her tenure in India, said that she has some very fond memories of the country.

"It has been three very exciting years here in India. I have seen the India-Norway relations growing and growing to be stronger, to be more strategic and to be broader over these three years. So, it's been a very exciting time to be in India as Norway's Ambassador."

She said that PM Modi's visit to Norway was one of the highlights of the growing ties between the two nations. The diplomat highlighted that Norwegian businesses too have been showing a lot more interest in India now.

"There are many big achievements and I would say a highlight of these three years that I have been here have been the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Norway in May. Then we elevated the relationship between Norway and India to a Green Strategic Partnership. And then we have seen the formal strengthening of what I was saying about a more stronger relationship between our two countries. So, that was definitely a highlight. But, there have been many other highlights as well.

"It has been a period where interest from Norwegian businesses have been strong and growing and of course, because we also have a trade and economic partnership agreement between India and the EFTA countries, which will now have its first anniversary after entering into force in October. So, that has also been something where we have seen that there is a growing interest from Norwegian companies. Last year in November, we saw the first listing at the Stock Exchange here in India, in Mumbai, of a Norwegian company, namely of Orkla India."

Lauding India's growing economy, the Norwegian Ambassador said that she believes that India will soon become the third biggest economy in the world.

"The Indian economy is growing very fast. While I have been here in India, you have gone from the fifth biggest economy to the fourth. I believe also will soon be the third biggest economy in the world and it's amazing to see how the Indian economy is growing. Sometimes when I travel around in this country, I can almost see it with my own eyes you see the buildings popping up, and you see more and better infrastructure all over. And there is a very vibrant culture where Indians are very, very active to get cooperation, for example, with Norwegian companies. So, it's very fascinating to see the growth of the Indian economy, to see how India is also able to lift more people out of poverty, and how this creates more vibrancy in this country. And it definitely also creates a lot of opportunities for relations between our countries, particularly in the business sector."

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