Norway stood firmly with India after Pahalgam attack: PM

Nations backing India’s anti-terror stand sent strong message to terror sponsors

New Delhi, May 18: Expressing gratitude to Norway for standing with India after April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Nordic nation demonstrated “true friendship” by supporting New Delhi against terrorism during a difficult period.

Addressing a joint press interaction with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo, PM Modi said his visit to Norway last year had to be postponed because of the attack in Pahalgam.

“During that difficult time, Norway stood firmly with India against terrorism and demonstrated true friendship. Now that I have come to Norway, I sincerely thank the country for this solidarity,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks came amid India’s push for greater international cooperation against terrorism following the Pahalgam terror attack, which had triggered widespread condemnation from several countries.

PM Modi said India and Norway shared common views on peace, dialogue and global stability, and asserted that cooperation among nations was essential to tackle challenges such as terrorism, wars and economic uncertainty.

He said the world was witnessing instability due to conflicts in regions such as Ukraine and West Asia, but added that India and Europe were simultaneously entering a “new golden era” of ties.

Highlighting the growing India-Europe partnership, PM Modi referred to the India-European Free Trade Association pact and said it would strengthen economic cooperation between India and Norway. He said the agreement was expected to bring investments worth USD 100 billion and create one million jobs in India over the next 15 years.

The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of the India-Norway Green Strategic Partnership, saying it would benefit the global community. He said Norway was joining the Indo-Pacific initiative and both countries would work together to strengthen maritime security, marine economies and capacity building.

The Norwegian Prime Minister said both countries believed in cooperation and dialogue to address global challenges. He announced that India and Norway were signing a memorandum of understanding to expand collaboration in high-quality health services, digital health, artificial intelligence, research and health technology.

He also cautioned against the “weaponisation” of diplomacy, trade and technology and said discussions were held on key global issues, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

India has been engaging with several countries to strengthen counter-terror cooperation and seek international support against cross-border terrorism following the Pahalgam attack.