The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederikson on Saturday, 9 October. It was not only her first visit to India but she was also the first head of State to visit India since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world.
While the focus of her visit was the Green Strategic Partnership launched in September 2020 during a virtual summit, and for cooperation in cleaner and greener technologies, she has also been meeting with members of the civil society, think tanks and the student community in the country.
Green Strategic Partnership
The India-Denmark Joint statement issued after the meeting of the two prime ministers laid out their commitment towards the five-year action plan and noted progress in its implementation.
The two countries "agreed that strengthening of the Green Strategic Partnership will be important for green growth and will lead to mutually beneficial cooperation."
The presence of Danish companies in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu was welcomed in the context of development of renewable energy. The meeting emphasised on the joined effort of the two nations to reduce emissions and work together in research and development projects.
Water turned out to be another point of collaboration where the countries will be focusing on urban and rural waste water management and river rejuvenation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their collaborative commitment to combat climate change in accordance with the multilateral agreements signed previously by them.
Emphasis was put on identifying relevant sourcing of sustainable financing and the need for affordable technology.
Other Agreements
The meeting also saw the two prime ministers talking about the global COVID-19 pandemic and their adherence to the newly signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and the joint working group. They also assessed the importance of vaccine partnerships and mutual recognition of vaccine certificates issued.
The MoUs and joint letters of intent were signed between the institutions of the two countries with regards to development and sharing of knowledge in technical and scientific fields.
The two nations acknowledged India's presidency of the United Nations Security Council and the talks between India and the European Union (EU) nations. The partnership and discussions of India and the EU in Portugal and the European engagement in the Indo-Pacific are being seen as a milestone in multilateral cooperation and global development.
Calling India a close partner, Frederiksen said, "We consider India as a close partner. I see this visit as a milestone for Denmark-India bilateral relations." India's Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar had visited Denmark earlier this year.
"The visit is expected to further strengthen and enhance the close and friendly ties between India and Denmark," a Ministry of External Affairs press release said.
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