‘Language gives us our identity’

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: other. And, apart from the literary connection, Iceland’s favourite sport is chess, which is said to have originated from India. Also, yoga fascinates the fitness freak in Iceland.

Iceland’s different from the rest of Europe

What mainly distinguishes Icelandic culture from the rest of Europe and gives Icelanders a strong sense of identity is the language. We have practically retained the Old Norse spoken a 1,000 years ago. Iceland has a phenomenally high percentage of writers and poets. Our scribbler’s instincts were no doubt inherited from our Irish ancestors (it is sometimes said that Iceland was settled by Norwegian men and Irish women they brought with them). The sagas, written mostly in the 13th and 14th centuries, form the basis of our literary heritageto this day.

Relevance of India for Iceland

India is highly relevant to Iceland and not only for its phenomenal economic potential. Should Iceland be successful in its bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council next fall, we would want to listen carefully to the voice of India. While many of my countrymen know about India’s economic potential and cultural richness, they are baffled by India’s vastness and complexity. I tell them that India cannot be described — they need to come here and see it with their own eyes. We are planning to have an Icelandic film festival later this year in India and are organising exhibits of Icelandic photographs and paintings. Also on the anvil is introduction of works by Icelandic writers to Indian audiences. People like the Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1955, and the singer-songwriter Bjork, I think would be appreciated by Indians. Young audiences in India would appreciate music groups like Sugar Cube and others.

A hydrogen fuel-based transport system by 2050 Iceland is pushing hard to become the first nation to break free from the constraints of fossil fuel. Already 70% of volcanic Iceland’s energy requirement is fulfilled by renewable sources. We are now looking at the viability of having hydrogen-powered fishing fleets.

The University of Iceland recently entered into an agreement with The Energy Research Institute (Teri) for research in environmental science and energy.