India-Norway conducts sixth session of Joint Commission Meeting

The sixth-session of the India-Norway Joint Commission Meeting was held virtually on October 13, 2020. The meeting was attended by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Soreide.

During the meet, the ministers of both nations reiterated their commitment to cooperate closely in combating the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. They also reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between both the nations and expressed satisfaction with the progress.

The blueprint for a comprehensive partnership between India and Norway was laid during the visit of Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to India in January 2019.

Thank FM Ine Eriksen Søreide for a productive India-Norway Joint Commission Meeting. Our green, clean and human-centric partnership has an increasing relevance in the contemporary world. Appreciate the progress made in our Blue Economy and Ocean Dialogue. pic.twitter.com/prpgrw4gbs

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 13, 2020

Joint Commission Meeting: Key Highlights

• During the sixth virtually held Joint Commission Meeting, both India and Norway welcomed the establishment of the COVAX global facility and the work to secure the equal global access to vaccines. They also affirmed their commitment to maternal and child health.

• The ministers from both the nation agreed that the recovery from pandemic provides an opportunity to build more sustainable economies.

• The Dialogue on Trade and Investment (DTI) which gave impetus to business participation and cooperation of Norwegian companies in the programmes of India was also discussed.

• While talking about global peace and unity, the ministers of India and Norway emphasized the central role of the United Nations (UN) in maintaining that. As India and Norway are the elected members of the UNSC (United Nations Security Council), they agreed to engage in regular consultations on the Security Council issues during the membership period.

Progress on Blue Economy for sustainable development:

Both the ministers during the sixth Joint Commission Meeting noted satisfaction on the progress which has been made in the Ocean Dialogue and the initiatives that have been undertaken by the recently launched Task Force on Blue Economy for sustainable development.

It synergizes potential in both Norway and India particularly in areas such as aquaculture, fisheries, green technologies for maritime use, ship recycling, construction of vessels, and green ports.

They also emphasized the action undertaken in the areas of integrated ocean management and research, marine pollution, and marine spatial planning while underscoring the potential for cooperation on the blue economy to protect the oceans which creating jobs and sustainable growth.