New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): Ambassador of Norway to India May-Elin Stener on Wednesday hailed the 'green strategic partnership' between the two countries and said that it reinforces a deep commitment to sustainable development and environmental cooperation.

This collaboration follows what the Ambassador described as an 'almost historic' visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Norway last month, which marked the first such visit in 43 years and the first during the PM's third term.

'The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Norway last month was almost historic as it was 43 years since last time an Indian Prime Minister visited Norway and the first time since Prime Minister Modi in his third term. We made a lot of ground breaking agreements there. We now have a green strategic partnership between Norway and India,' she told ANI.

Highlighting the framework of this framework, she said, 'This is reinforcing the work that we are doing together already on green energy, the blue economy, green maritime industries, and also for circular economy and for sustainable growth in general.'

Beyond the environmental agenda, the Ambassador acknowledged the importance of trade negotiations between the European Union and India.

Noting that Norway is 'tightly linked' to the EU via the European Economic Area, the Ambassador emphasised that the most significant current milestone for Norway is the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).

'Norway is not a member of the European Union. We have a trade agreement with the European Union in the European Economic Area. So we are also very tightly linked with the European Union when it comes to trade. Therefore, we see the trade agreement between EU and India as also crucial and important for Norway. However, the most important for us in relation to India is the EFTA India Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement. It entered into force last year, 1st October, and it is already uh being implemented. So we are very happy about that. We are very happy about being among the first group of European countries that have an elevated relationship and trade relationship and also regarding investments with India,' she said.

Prime Minister Modi visited Norway from May 18 to 19 and also participated in the India-Nordic Summit, where leaders discussed cooperation in trade, technology, energy, climate action and innovation.

PM Modi's visit marked a significant upgrade in bilateral ties with the signing of 12 agreements and initiatives, signalling a broad expansion of cooperation across climate, technology, maritime, and scientific domains.

A Joint Statement was adopted in this regard, focusing on climate action, circular economy initiatives, and leveraging Norwegian technological expertise alongside India's scale and manufacturing strengths, as per a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these outcomes are expected to add new strength to India-Norway relations, reaffirming commitment to advancing a forward-looking agenda focused on green growth, innovation and strategic cooperation.

On the other hand, India and EFTA signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) on 10 March 2024, which took effect on 1 October 2025, marking India's first FTA with four developed European nations. TEPA commits USD 100 billion in investments and 1 million direct jobs over 15 years, the first binding pledge of its kind in any Indian FTA.

EFTA covers 92.2% of tariff lines (99.6% of India's exports), while India covers 82.7% (95.3% of EFTA's exports), protecting key sectors like dairy, soya, coal, and agriculture.

The pact expands market access, drives manufacturing and innovation, and strengthens cooperation in technology and sustainability.EFTA is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. (ANI)