New Delhi, February 18 Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an "excellent" meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis on Wednesday, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral economic partnership, particularly in the context of the recently inked India-EU free trade agreement.
Modi said they also discussed working together on futuristic technologies, energy management, skills development, and more.
"Had an excellent meeting with President Alar Karis of Estonia, a nation that has made remarkable progress in technology and AI. We discussed how to further strengthen our economic partnership, particularly in the context of the India-EU FTA, which is a historic agreement," Modi said in a post on X.
President Karis posted on X, "I spoke with @narendramodi about the changing global order and how new technology affects democracy. I welcomed India's decision to reduce imports of Russian fossil fuels and increase pressure on Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine."
Karis added that India's global influence is growing and has been boosted by the India-EU FTA.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that Modi and Karis warmly recalled their meeting last year on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris.
They reiterated their commitment to further strengthening India-Estonia relations, based on shared values of democracy and the rule of law, and shared goals of international peace and stability, the statement said.
The leaders welcomed the significant strengthening of India-EU relations with the successful conclusion of the free trade agreement (FTA) during the 16th India-EU Summit in January.
Modi and Karis also reviewed bilateral relations, particularly the ongoing collaboration in IT and digitalization, and underscored the potential for further cooperation in futuristic technologies, e-governance, cybersecurity, startups, and AI, including in education and skills development, the PMO said.
They also discussed the potential for collaboration in clean energy and smart energy management, and exchanged views on regional and global issues, it said.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the growing cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Estonia.
President Karis also expressed appreciation for the contributions of Indian professionals in Estonia, as both sides agreed to work towards facilitating greater talent mobility and tourism.
President Karis is here to attend the AI Impact Summit, which is being held from February 16-20 at the Bharat Mandapam, in which more than 500 global AI leaders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 chief technology officers, vice-presidents, and philanthropists are taking part.
