Switzerland is an important member of the NSG and India is expected to seek its support for membership in the group.
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Prior to Modi’s 2014 visit, relations between the two countries had soured on a number of issues including stagnant trade, the inability of US nuclear power firms to cash in on the India-US nuclear pact concluded in 2008 with US support and the arrest of an Indian diplomat in NY over charges of making false claims on a visa application for her housekeeper.
Later, Modi also interacted with a group of Indian students and scientists from CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world.
Later on Wednesday, he will leave for Mexico on the fifth and final leg of his five-nation tour.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, applauds Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann, right, joint news conference after a bilateral meeting and a round table with Swiss Economic representatives, in Geneva, . He also said combating the menace of black money and tax evasion was “shared priority” for both the countries.
“We discussed the need for an early and expeditious exchange of information to bring to justice the tax offenders”, he said.
He also held meetings with top Swiss business leaders and highlighted the strong economic ties between the two countries.
“I, therefore, invite the Swiss companies to avail of this great opportunity to be a key partner in India’s economic growth”, he said.
The two countries are negotiating a Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), although it is not clear whether a final draft will be ready for Modi to sign on his visit.
He will have a working lunch with Obama on Tuesday, followed by a series of meetings with U.S. business leaders and members of the three million strong Indian-American community. PM mentioned that India and Switzerland have both been voices of peace, understanding and humanitarian values in the world. “Hence, Swiss model of skill development is very relevant for us”, the prime minister said.
“Switzerland welcomes India’s contributions to nuclear non-proliferation”, he said.
India, however, rejects United States criticism of the country’s human rights record, and the Indian government recently refused visas for a delegation from the USA government agency charged with monitoring global religious freedom.
He began his travel in Afghanistan, then travelled to Qatar and Switzerland.
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