New Delhi, March 4: Finnish President Alexander Stubb began a four-day visit to India on Wednesday to shore up bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas, including trade, investment and critical technology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcoming Stubb, said his visit will take India-Finland relations to “new heights” Stubb will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi on Thursday following which the two sides are expected to firm up a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to boost cooperation in a number of sectors.
The crisis in West Asia is likely to feature prominently in the meeting. “The visit will further strengthen the relations between Finland and India, including in the area of trade,” Stubb said on social media before leaving for New Delhi.
The Finnish president will be the chief guest at the inaugural session of the Raisina Dialogue on Thursday evening.
“Welcome to India, President Alexander Stubb. I fully agree with you, your visit will take India-Finland relations to new heights. I eagerly look forward to our meeting tomorrow and to your keynote address at the Raisina Dialogue 2026,” Modi said on X in response to Stubb’s remarks.
The Finnish president was accorded a warm welcome at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
“India and Finland share a warm and friendly relationship rooted in shared democratic values. President Stubb’s visit will impart further energy to India-Finland relations,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media.
Stubb is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
The president’s visit to India comes weeks after Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo travelled to New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit.
The Finnish president will also meet President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan.
Stubb will travel to Mumbai on Friday where he is scheduled to meet several business leaders. (PTI)
