India has taken very proactive and geostrategic role under leadership of PM Modi: Outgoing Denmark Ambassador Svane

India has taken “a very proactive role, a very geostrategic role, not only in the neighbourhood, the region but also at large” under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Denmark’s outgoing Ambassador to India Freddy Svane has said and noted that the world needs a strong India that is not shifting from one camp to the other.

In an interview with ANI, Freddy Svane said India is seeing rapid expansion of infrastructure including highways, expressways, railways, airports and is moving big time.

He said India has always played a role on the global stage but the way it took shape was very dependent on the context, the geopolitics.

“Now things have changed. With Prime Minister Modi, India taken a very proactive role, a very geostrategic role, not only in the neighbourhood, the region but also at large. And that is something we cherish. Because we need a strong India, we don’t need a India who is shifting from one camp to another. We need an India that defines its own strategic interests,” he said.

Freddy Svane said based on this concept of strategic autonomy “we will try to navigate and develop common approach” wherever required.

He said there is no limit to bilateral relationship and the Green Strategic Partnership has “served us well”.

He recalled meeting Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.

“In 2011, I met the then chief minister of Gujarat. I saw then how things have changed under his leadership. I also saw how modern India came up with new infrastructure, highways, expressways, railways, airports, new everything. So India is moving big time. There is no limit to our relationship. When we embarked upon it, we established what we call the Green Strategic Partnership. It has served us well. India, Denmark, but also beyond. I think we really made a very cutting-edge decision to embark into this partnership. Now we have to look into how to take it forward,” the Denmark envoy said.

Freddy Svane had met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on “farewell call” on November 29. The minister recalled the envoy’s contributions in strengthening the ties between the two countries.

“Received Ambassador @svane_freddy of Denmark for a farewell call today. Appreciate his contributions in strengthening bilateral partnership. He really made a difference to the relationship. Wish him the best for all future endeavours,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark is a mutually beneficial arrangement to advance political cooperation, expand economic relations and green growth, create jobs and strengthen cooperation on addressing global challenges and opportunities with focus on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Under Green Strategic Partnership, India and Denmark cooperate through relevant ministries, institutions and stakeholders.