Bildt and Björling to India
On 6 November there will be a summit between the EU and India in New Delhi. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and Minister for Trade Ewa Björling. Apart from the summit, the Swedish ministers will have bilateral meetings with their Indian counterparts on 5 November and Dr Björling will also take part in the EU-India Business Summit that is being organised for the tenth time.
The basis for the EU-India Summit in New Delhi on 6 November is the strategic partnership established in 2004. A dialogue will be held on current issues such as climate, environment and energy issues, the financial crisis and regional affairs.
Dr Björling will take part in a bilateral meeting with India on 5 November, when she will meet Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma to discuss deeper cooperation between Sweden and India on trade and investment.
The value of the trade balance between Sweden and India doubled between 2000 and 2008 and Swedish exports to India have increased by a factor of six since 2000. In addition, more and more Swedish companies are setting up operations in India.
"India is emerging as an increasingly strong economy and an increasingly important actor in the globalised community, and I believe there are many areas where we can deepen our cooperation further, such as environmental technology, telecommunications and medical equipment. I am also pleased about Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma's initiative to resume negotiations on the Doha Round and hope we can see a conclusion in the near future," says Dr Björling.
During the Business Summit on 6 November, Minister for Trade Ewa Björling will open the new Swedish Trade Council office and lead a CEO roundtable discussion on biotechnology and life sciences. Dr Björling will also be the opening speaker at an IndianSwedish defence industry seminar.
