New Delhi: India today expressed hope that
bilateral trade and investment will be strengthened with
Iceland and new mutually beneficial opportunities between
the two countries will be opened up.
Speaking at the banquet in honour of visiting Iceland
President Olafur Raganar Grimsson, President Pratibha Patil
said the cultural, educational and youth exchanges should be
expanded.
She said the splendours of nature that Iceland is gifted
coupled with India`s traditional and holistic health
approaches such as Ayurveda could create a new dimension in
the area of wellness tourism.
Patil said both India and Iceland were committed to the
principles enshrined in the charter of United Nations and we
believe that there is an urgent need to reform the world
body in pace with contemporary realities.
"We greatly value Iceland`s support for our just
aspirations to be represented in a reformed UN Security
Council."
The visiting President in his speech recalled that
during his Presidency, efforts have been taken to bring the
two nations closer together fulfilling a dream, created in a
dialogue with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi more than a
quarter century ago.
He said the rich research data, which have deepened their
knowledge of the glaciers in Iceland, of the Greenland
ice-sheet and the Arctic can also be used to monitor
developments in the Himalayas and their impact on water
resources, soil and food production.
-PTI
