Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his five-country visit in UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from today, May 15. The visit will focus on strengthening trade, investment, technology and strategic cooperation with Europe and the Persian Gulf region.
To begin with, the Prime Minister will leave for an official visit to the UAE at 8.30 am today. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Prime Minister will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the visit. Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two leaders will have the opportunity to exchange views on bilateral issues, especially energy cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of common interest.
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“They will also discuss ways to advance the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership underpinned by strong political, cultural, economic and people-to-people ties. The visit will serve to promote significant trade and investment ties between the two countries,” the ministry said.
Prime Minister Modi’s brief visit to Abu Dhabi is seen as an opportunity for India to boost energy supplies from the UAE and discuss the welfare of the four million-strong diaspora in the Emirates.
During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UAE, at least two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between the two countries, one on LNG supplies and the other on strategic oil reserves.
During the crisis arising from the US-Iran war and its impact on the movement of vessels through Strait of HormuzIndia has reached out to key West Asian energy suppliers. The UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner and its seventh-largest source of investment cumulatively over the past 25 years, the ministry said.
PM Modi’s visit to the Emirates comes months after the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan he visited India for two to three hours in January.
Sheikh Nahyan’s visit to India came amid a volatile situation in the Middle East resulting from a sharp decline in Iran-US relations, simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen and an unsettling political scenario in Gaza.
In the middle of the US-Iran war
This time, the UAE is at the center of the ongoing US-Iran war and has witnessed more than 2,500 missile and drone strikes, more than what Israel has faced from Tehran. Last month, the UAE also pulled out of OPEC and OPEC+ over differences with Iran and Saudi Arabia.
From the UAE, Modi will move to the Netherlands around 1:30 pm (local time), which is around 3 pm in India.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Netherland was at the invitation of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. PM Modi will be in Netherlands till May 17. This will be PM Modi’s second visit to the Netherlands after his previous visit in 2017.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will call on King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima and hold talks with Prime Minister Rob Jetten. “The prime minister’s visit will build on the momentum of high-level engagements and close cooperation involving various sectors, including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and the strategic water partnership,” the ministry said.
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The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade worth US$ 27.8 billion (2024–25); and India’s 4th largest investor with cumulative FDI of USD 55.6 billion.
From the Netherlands, PM Modi will visit Sweden at the invitation of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. PM Modi will be on 17-18 May in Gothenburg, Sweden. PM Modi had earlier visited Sweden in 2018 for the first ever India-Nordic Summit.
In Sweden, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Kristersson to review the full range of bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation. India-Sweden bilateral trade reached $7.75 billion (2025) and Swedish FDI in India reached $2.825 billion (2000-2025). The two leaders will also discuss cooperation in green transformation, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, startups, resilient supply chains, defence, space, climate action and people-to-people ties.
“Both Prime Ministers will also speak at the European Round Table for Industry, the leading pan-European business forum, together with JE Mrs Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission,” the ministry said.
From Sweden, PM Modi will be in Norway from May 18-19, 2026 to attend the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and Bilateral Talks. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Norway and it will be the first visit by a Prime Minister from India to Norway in 43 years.
“The Prime Minister will call on Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja and hold bilateral talks with JE Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stør. The Prime Minister will also address the Indo-Norwegian Business and Research Summit along with the Norwegian Prime Minister,” the ministry said.
3rd India-Nordic Summit
The visit will also be an opportunity to boost bilateral trade worth around USD 2.73 billion (2024) and Norwegian Government Pension Fund (GPFG) investment of nearly USD 28 billion in the Indian capital market, the ministry said.
The 3rd India-Nordic Summit will be held in Oslo on May 19, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be joined by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen; Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir, Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson for the summit.
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“The summit will build on the two previous summits held in Stockholm in April 2018 and Copenhagen in May 2022 and will add a more strategic dimension to India’s relations with the Nordic countries, particularly in the areas of technology and innovation; green transformation and renewable energy; sustainability; blue economy; defence; space and Arctic. and investment linkages with the Nordic countries and also help build resilient supply chains in line with the Free Trade Agreement between India-EU and the India-EFTA Free Trade Agreement,” the MEA report said.
Meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
In the final leg of his visit, PM Modi will be in Italy from May 19-20, 2026. The PM last visited Italy in June 2024 for the G7 summit. During the visit, he will invite the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and will hold talks with the Prime Minister, Giorgio Meloni.
The visit comes against the backdrop of strong momentum in bilateral relations with both sides proactively implementing the 2025-2029 Joint Strategic Action Plan, a comprehensive plan for cooperation in various sectors, including bilateral trade reaching US$16.77 billion in 2025; boosting investment, which saw a cumulative FDI of US$3.66 billion (April 2000-September 2025); defense and security; clean energy; innovation; science and technology; and people-to-people ties, the ministry said.
Key things
- Prime Minister Modi’s visit is aimed at strengthening India’s ties with Europe and the Gulf region.
- Bilateral trade and investment are expected to see significant growth as a result of this tour.
- The visit highlights India’s strategic partnerships in technology, renewable energy and defence.
