Denmark, India to consider strategic cooperation
- Historically, India and Denmark have collaborated primarily on green energy and sustainable development
New Delhi and Copenhagen are considering an expansion of their bilateral partnership, targeting enhanced cooperation on strategic issues, which include maritime security, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, and defence, according to persons aware of the matter.
Cooperation in the Arctic region, increasingly important to India, is also likely to be a key discussion point. Historically, India and Denmark have collaborated primarily on green energy and sustainable development.
“We must strengthen the bonds to the democracies of the world. This will be achieved through, among other things, strategic partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific,” Denmark had said in its foreign and security policy in 2022.
Queries mailed to the Indian and Danish foreign ministries went unanswered at press time.
The India-Denmark relationship has so far focussed on renewable energy and clean technology. In 2020, a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, led to the upgrading of their ties to a Green Strategic Partnership. This partnership has focused on capacity building in areas like offshore wind, integrated renewable power, energy planning, wastewater management, and water quality improvement.
In 2020, both nations acknowledged their deep maritime cooperation and identified potential areas for enhancement, including ship-building, maritime services, Green shipping, and port development.
The upcoming talks are also expected to cover maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
In defence, the focus may be on precision components and equipment. India's interest in the Arctic, rich in natural resources like oil, natural gas, copper, zinc, and rare earths, is particularly notable. India is exploring a partnership with Denmark, specifically regarding Greenland's rare earth deposits.
Another area of interest for India is the developing Northern Sea Trade Route through the Arctic, seen as a shorter alternative to the Suez Canal for Europe-Asia trade. The shrinking ice cover due to climate change is facilitating this new trade route, alongside opportunities for polar and scientific research.
Since 2013, India has been an observer at the Arctic Council, established in 1998 to foster collaboration among countries with interests in the Arctic.
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Business NewsNewsDenmark, India to consider strategic cooperation
First Published:26 Jan 2024, 01:10 PM IST
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