New Delhi:
Acknowledging India’s function as the “pharmacy to the world”, major European nation Sweden mentioned it is focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation in the regions of overall health and life sciences in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Swedish Ambassador Klas Molin also mentioned Sweden and India stand “firmly and unequivocally” in the fight against terrorism even as he noted the increasing Indian function in the Indo-Pacific area.
On the extended-pending cost-free-trade agreement involving India and the European Union, the envoy mentioned there is nevertheless some perform to be carried out in calibrating expectations and scope on each sides, noting that it will be mutually valuable for each sides.
Mr Molin told PTI that general bilateral ties involving India and Sweden have been exceptional and that each sides are searching at broader cooperation in eight crucial regions like innovation, trade and investments, overall health and defence.
“The pandemic has focused our thinking, and our cooperation in health and in life sciences has increased.
“India is the pharmacy to the globe and some of our businesses, some currently established right here, some venturing right here now, are searching for new matchups,” the ambassador said.
“AstraZeneca is a nicely-identified instance, presently in phase 3 trials for a COVID-vaccine, but also researching and creating in India in other regions,” he said.
India has supplied medicines and other medical assistance to over 150 countries in the last few months to help them deal with the coronavirus pandemic at a time when the country itself was reeling under its impact.
India’s medical assistance has drawn recognition from several countries as well as multilateral fora.
As the world anxiously waits for a COVID-19 vaccine, British-Sweden pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford are holding trials of a vaccine candidate.
In India, AstraZeneca is partnering with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the potential vaccine.
To a question on security issues, Mr Molin said that India and Sweden stand together firmly and unequivocally in the fight against terrorism.
He also noted that “India is taking on a increasing function in the Indo-Pacific and is deepening its cooperation with other nations, each regional and from outdoors, in order to defend its interests and assure cost-free navigation of and secure maritime passage in international waters”.
“The international neighborhood has an interest in guarding these typical goods as nicely as in combating terrorism,” he added.
On the border row between India and China in eastern Ladakh, the ambassador said tensions of “this type” that lead to the loss of lives are “naturally incredibly critical”. “I consider it is secure to say that there have currently been some repercussions and consequences, for instance in the financial and tech fields.
“Hopefully, the talks underway will lead to a de-escalation and a more stable situation,” he mentioned.
Asked about the proposed India-EU FTA, Molin hoped that the choices taken at this year”s summit involving the two sides will pave the way for the resumption of negotiations.
“We firmly believe that an FTA would be mutually very beneficial. There is still some work to be done in calibrating expectations and scope on both sides.
“This year’s EU-India Summit opened on a higher-level financial dialogue. Hopefully, this will pave the way for resumption of negotiations,” he said.
The FTA talks have been stalled since May 2013, when both sides failed to bridge substantial gaps on crucial issues, including data security status for the IT sector. Launched in June 2007, negotiations for the proposed agreement have witnessed many hurdles.
Asked how the overall ties progressed after the visit of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to India last year, the ambassador said the relations have been “exceptional” and it was reflected in the visit.
“The pandemic has meant that some of the contacts have been focused on new regions as we attempt to aid every other cope with this unprecedented challenge,” he said.
The ties between India and Sweden are on an upswing in the last few years. In April 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Stockholm during which both sides agreed to further deepen innovation partnership for a sustainable future.
It was a visit to Sweden by an Indian prime minister after nearly three decades.
Asked about Sweden-India Nobel memorial week, Molin said this year the programme comprised several elements “which strengthen the synergies our two nations share as partners with complementarities”.
“We are also envisaging a virtual interaction involving Swedish Trade Minister Anna Hallberg and the 200 plus Swedish businesses in India, exactly where the minister would give her outlook on international trade and investment scenarios, and a lot more especially trends for Sweden and Swedish business in the ongoing pandemic,” he mentioned.