PM Modi ‘Inspiration For World’, Says Danish Counterpart Lauding ‘Ambitious’ Targets For Renewable Energy

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, who arrived in New Delhi earlier today, is on a three-day visit, during which she will call on President Ram Nath Kovind after the talks with PM Narendra Modi.

"Great pleasure to welcome PM Mette Frederiksen on her first visit to India. Our Green Strategic Partnership is focused on clean technologies and green growth," PM Modi wrote on Twitter.

New Delhi: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has set an ambitious climate target for renewable energy, is an inspirational figure for the rest of the world. 

The address came as PM Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart held bilateral talks at Hyderabad House today. 

“You (PM Modi) are an inspiration for the rest of the world as you have set some very ambitious targets when it comes to clean water for over one million households and renewable energy... I‘m proud that you have accepted my invitation to visit Denmark,” the Danish PM said after the bilateral meeting, as quoted by news agency ANI. 

She noted that PM Modi has set very ambitious targets in India. The target of 450 gigawatts by 2030 of renewable energy is regarded as a challenging goal. 

Frederiksen added that both democratic nations believe in an international system based on rules. 

“Cooperation between India and Denmark is a great example of how green growth and green transition can go hand in hand,” the Danish Prime Minister said. 

PM Modi then talked about the Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark as a symbol of the far-reaching thinking in both nations. 

“A year ago today, we took the historic decision to establish a Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark in our virtual summit. This is a sign of far-reaching thinking and respect for the environment in both our countries,” said PM Modi, as quoted by ANI. 

“During our virtual summit, we had decided to establish a Green Strategic Partnership between our two countries. Today, we reviewed and reiterated our commitment to this,” he added. 

India - Denmark Exchange Four Agreements 

Following the bilateral, India and Denmark on Saturday exchanged four agreements. The first memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, Aarhus University, Denmark and Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland on mapping of groundwater resources and aquifers.

 The second agreement was signed on the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Access Agreement between the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office. 

The third MoU was signed between the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Danfoss Industries Private Limited to establish a Centre of Excellence towards natural refrigerants for tropical climates with potential applications. 

The fourth agreement was a Joint Letter of Intent between the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of the Republic of India and The Government of the Kingdom of Denmark. 

Danish Prime Minister‘s Visit

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, who arrived in New Delhi earlier today, is on a three-day visit, during which she will call on President Ram Nath Kovind after the talks with PM Narendra Modi. She will also interact with think tanks, students, and members of civil society.  

Speaking after the ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Danish Prime Minister said that she sees her visit as a milestone for the relations between the two nations. “We consider India as a close partner. I see this visit as a milestone for Denmark-India bilateral relations,” she said.

Great pleasure to welcome PM Mette Frederiksen on her first visit to India. Our Green Strategic Partnership is focused on clean technologies and green growth. Our collaboration across sectors is vibrant and dynamic. 🇮🇳 🇩🇰 @Statsmin pic.twitter.com/fgyuoMp8TF

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 9, 2021

She added that she sees an ambitious Indian government taking responsibility for the issue of green transition in India and the rest of the world.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Danish PM‘s visit is an opportunity to review and further the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership.

India regards Mette Frederiksen‘s visit as very important because she is the first head of state visiting the country since COVID-19 restrictions were set in place last March. Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also visited Denmark earlier this year. 

India and Denmark have strong trade and investment relations. More than 200 Danish companies are present in India and over 60 Indian companies have a presence in Denmark.

(With Agency Inputs)