New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS): Congress leader K.C. Venugopal on Tuesday dubbed party MP Rahul Gandhi's meeting with former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and other lawmakers as "extremely significant for India’s development story".

In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), Venugopal said that Rahul Gandi's trip to Europe "is not just a courtesy visit, but a global conversation on welfare and social justice".

"India’s welfare measures have been exceptional since independence, be it the mid-day meal scheme, MGNREGA or the Congress’ current policy direction," he said in the X post.

"Norwegian and Scandinavian policymaking routinely informs our scheme designs, and a mutually beneficial conversation on these issues will go a long way in poverty alleviation and achieving better indicators across the board.

"When we come to power in 2024, our governance will be well-thought out, progressive and singularly focused on helping the downtrodden," Venugopal added.

As part of his trip to Europe, Rahul Gandhi has already visited Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Norway.

He held an interaction programme at Oslo University, SciencePO Universoty, Leiden University, Inalco University and also met businessmen and members of the Indian diaspora.