Secretary (West) in External Affairs Ministry, Sibi George has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Finland Alexander Stubb discussed the current evolving situation in West Asia. Replying to a query while briefing media in New Delhi, Mr George said both leaders discussed issues of interest to both India and Finland, including West Asia situation. He said both leaders held wide-ranging discussions and covered all aspects of bilateral relationship. He said the Ukraine conflict also came up for discussion during the talks. 

 

Secretary (West) said that Finland’s advanced capabilities in digital innovation align well with India’s digital transformation initiatives. He said, the two sides have established a cross-sectoral joint working group on digitalisation to advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies such as 5G and 6G, quantum communications, high-performance and quantum computing, and artificial intelligence. 

 

Mr George said that the two sides have also signed an MoU on migration and mobility partnership. He said, it is expected to facilitate the mobility of talent, including professionals, students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and academics. He expressed hope that Finland will provide enhanced access for Indian students, including internships and post-study employment opportunities.

 

On disruption of supply chain, Mr George said such disruptions affect economy of all countries. He added that building resilience in supply chains was an important topic of discussion in the meetings that were held yesterday.