King, Queen of Sweden meet PM Modi, discuss ways to deepen ties

New Delhi, December 2

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as they began their five-day India visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

The Swedish royal couple, who arrived here on Monday morning, were accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

“PM @narendramodi welcomed Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf & HM Queen Silvia of Sweden at Hyderabad House in New Delhi for the delegation level talks,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with pictures of the Swedish King and Queen with the Prime Minister.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also called on the King and Queen after their arrival and held discussions on ways to deepen bilateral ties.

The King will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on ways to further boost relations.

Apart from Delhi, the royal couple is scheduled to visit Mumbai and Uttarakhand.

In Delhi, the King and Queen are scheduled to visit Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Gandhi Smriti on Monday. It is King Gustaf’s third visit to India.

The King is leading a high-level business delegation from his country.

“Several documents on furthering bilateral engagement are likely to be signed,” officials said.

The ties between India and Sweden have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. The bilateral trade volume was USD 3.37 billion in 2018.

“Bilateral relations between India and Sweden are friendly and based on principles of democracy and transparency, right to freedom, and rule of law. Regular interactions in political, business, scientific and academic spheres have provided dynamism to our bilateral ties,” the MEA had said. PTI