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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in Norway on Monday for a two-day official visit, during which she is scheduled to meet top Norwegian leadership, hold bilateral discussions, and engage with business leaders, investors, and the Indian diaspora.
In a post on X, Ministry of Finance said that Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman was welcomed upon arrival at Oslo Airport by Gloria Gangte, Ambassador of India to Norway. Ministry stated "Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt.@nsitharamanis welcomed upon arrival by Ms.@GloriaGangte, Ambassador of India to Norway @IndiainNorway, at the Oslo Airport, Norway, today". The ministry also informed that during her visit to Oslo, Sitharaman will call on Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and hold bilateral meetings with Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Minister for Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth. These engagements aim to strengthen economic and financial cooperation between India and Norway. The finance minister is also scheduled to visit the Oslo Science Park to meet with start-ups. The visit is expected to provide an opportunity to exchange views on innovation, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies. In addition, Sitharaman will hold a roundtable discussion with Norwegian CEOs and investors to strengthen business and investment ties between the two countries. She will also engage with members of the Indian diaspora at a community event during her stay. Sitharaman's visit to Norway follows her trip to Munich, Germany, where she attended the Munich Security Conference 2026. During the conference, she spoke at the 'Degrees of Instability: Climate Security in a Warming World' town hall and highlighted India's increasing financial commitment towards climate action. She stated that India has significantly increased its spending on climate action, with expenditure rising from 3.7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) six years ago to nearly 5.6 per cent today. She emphasised that India is proactively investing its own resources to meet environmental goals and is not merely waiting for international assistance. "India has increased its commitment to climate action. We were at something like 3.7 per cent of our GDP six years ago... but today, we are somewhere close to 5.6 per cent. So more than doubled in a matter of six years," Sitharaman said during the townhall discussion. Apart from attending the conference, Sitharaman also held meetings with several key dignitaries, including Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), in Munich. The ongoing visit to Norway is expected to deepen India's engagement with European partners, particularly in finance, trade, innovation, and climate cooperation. (ANI)
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