Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 16 (ANI): Finland and India share strong bilateral relations with significant potential for expansion in trade, investment, and strategic cooperation, said Consul General of Finland Erik af Hallstrom on Wednesday, highlighting recent high-level engagements between the two countries.

Speaking on India-Finland ties here, Hallstrom noted the momentum created by President Alexander Stubb's recent visit to India.

'Finland and India have strong bilateral relations. Just last month, President Alexander Stubb visited Delhi, met Prime Minister Modi and Foreign Minister Jaishankar, attended the Raisina Dialogue, and signed strategic partnerships on sustainability and digitalisation. He also visited Mumbai, meeting the Chief Minister, business leaders, and students at Mumbai University,' he told ANI.

Emphasising economic opportunities, he underlined the scope for expansion in bilateral trade and investment flows.

'As trade in ready-made products is only a few billion euros annually, but with the upcoming Europe-India Free Trade Agreement, there is potential to double. Alongside trade, investments are key, and the Consulate General of Finland in Mumbai works to promote foreign direct investment both ways.'

Meanwhile, Sweden's Consul General in Mumbai, Sven Ostberg, who has been elected dean of the Consular Corps, said he would focus on improving coordination between foreign missions and the Maharashtra government.

'I'm very happy to have been elected dean of the Consular Corps here in Mumbai. Primarily, I will act as a bridge between the Consular corps and the government of Maharashtra and its authorities to increase dialogue and understanding between India and Maharashtra and Mumbai and the rest of the world,' he told ANI.

Highlighting Sweden's economic footprint in India, he added, 'I think that the relationship between India and Sweden is very good. We have a very strong relationship. It is centred around Swedish companies here in India. We have 280 Swedish companies presently, and they are employing around 2 lakh people directly and 2 million people indirectly. So they are big employers of Indian people. We are hoping to increase our bilateral trade by 2032.'

Vice Dean of the Consular Corps and Consul General of Poland, Tomasz Wielgomas, also underscored growing economic synergies between India and Europe.

'Polish-Indian relations were always good. There were no problems with our relationships ever. Now, when our economies are growing, Poland is already a 1 trillion economy. India is an economy of over 4 trillion. We also have a lot of opportunities to make a good business together...'

He added that Maharashtra holds strong investment potential due to its scale and workforce.

'Maharashtra is almost exactly the size of Poland. In Poland lives only 38 to 40 million people. In Maharashtra lives something like 100 million more. So this is the potential. And there are already a couple of Polish investments in Maharashtra,' he said.

Maharashtra Minister Jaykumar Rawal said Mumbai plays a crucial role in hosting global diplomatic engagement, noting its extensive consular presence.

'Mumbai is India's economic capital, and hosts around 110 Consuls General, both honorary and career diplomats. They are organised under the consular corps and chamber of commerce members (CCM), which elects a chief to coordinate with the Maharashtra government,' he said.

He added that international cooperation is essential in today's global environment, stating, 'In today's world, peace and harmony require global cooperation. The Consular Corps in Mumbai has chosen Sweden's Consul General as its head, along with a new team from other countries. This initiative strengthens ties between Maharashtra, India, and the international community, creating a platform for industry, dialogue, and people-to-people connections.' (ANI)