NEW DELHI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-day visit to Sweden and Britain, and attend two multilateral summits - the India-Nordic Summit and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), officials said Monday.
The prime minister has expressed confidence that his visit to Sweden and Britain will be useful in enhancing India's ties with the two European countries.
Modi will attend the first ever India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm scheduled on Tuesday which is being co-hosted by India and Sweden. Besides Modi, prime ministers of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland will attend the summit.
"I will be visiting Sweden and the UK for bilateral meetings and for the India-Nordic Summit and the CHOGM during," Modi said in a statement ahead of the visit.
Modi said Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and he will have the opportunity to interact with top business leaders of both the countries and chart out a future roadmap of cooperation with focus on trade and investment, innovation, science and technology, skill development, smart cities, clean energy, digitization and health.
Modi would reach Britain on Wednesday.
"On Wednesday, I will be in London on the invitation of Prime Minister Theresa May. India and the UK share a modern partnership bound by strong historical ties," Modi said. "I will be focusing on enhancing India-UK partnership in the areas healthcare, innovation, digitization, electric mobility, clean energy, and cyber security."
The Indian Prime Minister is also scheduled to call on Queen Elizabeth II and interact briefly with CEOs of the two nations who are working on a new agenda of economic partnership.
Officials said Modi would also welcome UK into the international solar alliance, as its newest member.
"On Thursday and Friday, I will also participate in the CHOGM being hosted by the United Kindom which will take over as the new Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth from Malta," the prime minister said.
Modi will make a brief stopover in Berlin on his way back home on Friday and meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel to exchange views on several bilateral, regional and global issues, reports said.
