President of Iceland Calls on President

Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the President of Iceland called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 5, 2013.

Describing Dr. Grimsson a friend of India, the President said his visit in 2010 gave new momentum to bilateral relations. During that visit, India had the honour of conferring upon Dr. Grimsson the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 2007. His decision to utilise the prize money for sponsoring Indian students to study glaciology is deeply appreciated.

The President said India and Iceland have, despite being separated by oceans, built a friendship based on shared values and mutuality of interests. Both countries have supported each other in international fora.

India and Iceland have much in common. Iceland, as the world’s oldest functioning democracy, and India, as the world’s largest democracy, deeply cherish the values of democracy, human rights and personal freedoms and hold similar views on a wide variety of regional and international issues. Regular high level visits have kept up the momentum in bilateral co-operation. Opening of resident missions in each other’s capitals has been a good step forward. The President appreciated the contribution of President of Iceland in strengthening the quality and substance of ties between two countries.

He also said India is grateful for Iceland's principled and consistent support of India's candidature for a permanent seat in the UNSC. The President said India has significant scientific capabilities and programmes focused on Polar scientific research. It has an abiding interest in the ongoing scientific research in the Arctic region and is willing to further contribute to the same.

This release issued at 1215 hrs