Sweden and India have long collaborated in various areas and are now upgrading the relationship to a strategic partnership.
The goal is, among other things, to double the economic exchange between the countries.
An action plan, developed for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Gothenburg on Sunday, mentions security, digital development, the green transition and space, among other things.
"India has growth like few other countries and is taking a systematic approach to the Western world in these rather chaotic times we live in, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M)."
The partnership was unveiled at a press conference with Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It builds on the comprehensive free trade agreement that India and the EU agreed to earlier this year.
According to Swedish calculations, the agreement will create approximately 23,000 jobs in Sweden.
"I see enormous opportunities for the entire EU, but not least for an export nation like Sweden, says Ulf Kristersson."
Criticized leader
Narendra Modi, 75, who represents the Hindu nationalist BJP, has ruled India since 2014.
During his visit to Gothenburg, he was greeted by cheers from a large group of Indians living in Sweden - but later also by a group of protesting Sikhs outside the barriers at the World of Volvo, where the press conference was held.
In recent years, Modi and India have received criticism, not least from the United States, due to India's large oil purchases from Russia, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"There is no doubt that there are differences in our basic approach. At the same time, India is very clear that it wants negotiations," says Ulf Kristersson.
"We talked about it today as well; he has met with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed this."
Green transition
According to Henrik Chetan Aspengren, head of the Asia Program at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs, frictions in India's relationship with the US are one reason India is interested in closer cooperation with Europe.
"We in Sweden are particularly strong in the green transition. It is something that India has a great need for," he says.
"But we can also learn from India, which, for example, is far ahead in AI, is investing in semiconductors and information technology, and has the know-how to scale up innovations."
