Oslo— India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a series of high-level meetings in Oslo on Wednesday aimed at deepening trade and investment ties between India and Norway. The discussions centered around the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) and exploring new opportunities for economic collaboration.
Goyal began his visit with a bilateral meeting with Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, where the two leaders discussed ways to operationalize the India-EFTA TEPA and enhance trade and investment flows between the two countries.
“In my first engagement after arriving in Oslo, I held a bilateral meeting with Espen Barth Eide. We discussed the implementation of the India-EFTA TEPA, strengthening bilateral ties, and boosting trade and investment,” Goyal posted on X.
He later met with Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth. “Our talks focused on deepening trade engagement in alignment with the India-EFTA TEPA and on exploring new opportunities to further elevate India-Norway bilateral ties,” Goyal wrote.
The Indian minister also co-chaired the Norway-India Business Executive Roundtable alongside Minister Myrseth, where discussions focused on enhancing economic cooperation, fostering innovation, and building stronger business partnerships.
In addition to his bilateral engagements, Goyal visited the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), where he held discussions with lawmakers on strengthening trade ties and shared views on democratic governance and development.
Goyal’s stop in Oslo is part of a five-day tour to London, Oslo, and Brussels aimed at advancing India’s trade relations with the UK, Norway, and the European Union.
India signed the comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland — in March last year. The pact, set to take effect this year, includes a commitment from EFTA countries to invest $100 billion in India over 15 years. In return, India will lower or eliminate tariffs on key European exports such as Swiss watches, chocolates, and polished diamonds.
Meanwhile, trade negotiations with the European Union have also gained momentum. India and the EU are working toward an early harvest agreement, with the 11th round of negotiations scheduled to take place in New Delhi from May 12–16. (Source: IANS)
