Gothenburg, Sweden — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 18 thanked Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Sweden’s support following the Pahalgam terror attack and reaffirmed that India and Sweden will continue to confront terrorism and its backers.
Speaking at the CEO Round Table in Gothenburg, Modi said cooperation between democracies such as India and Sweden is especially important in today’s tense global environment. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Kristersson for Sweden’s support after the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people—25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen.
Modi recalled India’s response to the attack, noting that on the intervening night of May 6–7 Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist camps in deep areas of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
On defence ties, the prime minister said cooperation with Sweden has evolved beyond buyer-seller transactions into a long-term industrial partnership, pointing to Swedish companies establishing production facilities in India as evidence of expanding collaboration in the defence sector.
Modi also thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for attending the event and highlighted progress on India-EU ties. He said the India-EU free trade agreement will open new opportunities for industries, investors and innovators, quoting von der Leyen’s description of the pact as the “Mother of All Deals.”
The European CEO round table, hosted by the Volvo Group, brought together Modi, Kristersson, von der Leyen, senior European industry leaders and representatives from major European and Indian companies.
Earlier in the day, Sweden conferred on Prime Minister Modi the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Commander Grand Cross—the country’s highest honour for a foreign head of government. The award marks the 31st international honour received by Modi from a foreign country.
Modi’s visit to Sweden is the third leg of a five-nation tour; he is scheduled to travel to Norway on May 18.
