Sweden wants ''fair trade'' with India: PM Fredrik

Responding to a query on why there was no trade (in military terms) between India and Sweden specially after the Bofors deal, Mr Fredrik said, ''We want trade with India and that has to be fair trade.'' India as a growing economic superpower was an important country and Sweden would definitely want to expand trade ties with the country, he added.

Describing his visit to India as fruitful, he said he had come to discuss climate change and environment issues which concerned humanity as a whole.

The Swedish Prime Minsiter was talking to the media on his brief visit to NGO 'Sulabh International', whose chairman Bindeshwar Pathak had been conferred with the Stockholm Water Prize - the equivalent of the Nobel prize in the field of water conservation.

On what brought him to 'Sulabh International', Mr Fredrik said he wanted to personally see the good work of the 'Sulabh' founder which won him accolades the world over and which fetched him the coveted Stockholm Water Prize.

''As water is important for hygience, sanitation and development, we wanted to see what great work has been done in this field by 'Sulabh' and that is why we are here.'' Lauding the work of the NGO, the Swedish Prime Minister said Sweden was closely working with India to expand the sanitation movement that has touched the lives of so many people.

Earlier, talking to students of the school run by 'Sulabh', Mr Fredrik said he would be glad to see student exchange programmes between India and Sweden.

Mr Fredrik was shown the 'Sulabh Toilet Museum' at the Sulabh premises which is one of its kind in the world and depicts the progress of sanitation methods over the years - specially in India where the heinous practice of scavenging (carrying night soil on the head) was still vastly prevalent.

-- (UNI) -- 06DI37.xml

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