New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Glasgow on Sunday for the COP26 climate summit. Prime Minister Modi will also hold bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) meet.
Prime Minister Modi received a very warm welcome from the Indian diaspora in Glasgow. He was received to the tune of Scottish bagpipes as he arrived at his hotel in Glasgow, where he was greeted by a large group of Indian diaspora representatives who were delighted to see their Prime Minister and as soon as he he arrived to meet them, people gathered to welcome him started singing 'Modi hai Bharat ka gehna',
Watch the reaction of the Indian community here:
After arriving at Glasgow, PM Modi tweeted, 'Landed in Glasgow. Will be joining the COP26 Summit, where I look forward to working with other world leaders on mitigating climate change and articulating India's efforts in this regard.'
PM Modi's agenda at Glasgow
PM Modi is scheduled to kickstart the UK leg of his European tour with a meeting with community leaders and Indologists based in Scotland on Monday morning.
He will then proceed for the opening ceremony of the World Leaders' Summit (WLS) at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, where he is set to address the summit plenary session.
Modi's bilateral meeting with Boris Johnson is expected to take place soon after Monday's opening ceremony, which will include cultural performances and a speech by the UK Prime Minister. Johnson has said the summit will be the "world's moment of truth" and has urged world leaders to make the most of it.
"The question everyone is asking is whether we seize this moment or let it slip away," he said, ahead of the two-week conference.
His talks with Modi are expected to focus on the UK-India climate partnership as well as a stock-take of the 2030 Roadmap for stronger UK-India Strategic Partnership signed by the two leaders during a virtual summit in May this year.
The Modi-Johnson meeting will be followed by a leader-level COP26 event entitled Action and Solidarity: The Critical Decade, with Modi set to deliver India's national statement on the country's climate action to the delegates soon after.
India is among the top countries in the world in terms of installed renewable energy, wind and solar energy capacity. At the WLS, I will share India's excellent track record on climate action and our achievements, Modi said in a statement ahead of the summit.
I will also highlight the need to comprehensively address climate change issues including equitable distribution of carbon space, support for mitigation and adaptation and resilience-building measures, mobilisation of finance, technology transfer, and importance of sustainable lifestyles for green and inclusive growth, he said.
India's focus at the COP26 Summit will be on the country's ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals for the post-2020 period under the Paris Agreement.
These include a reduction in the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level, as well as achieving 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, reported PTI.
Predictable and consistent financing of green technology for developing countries will be another key area of focus for India.
At the end of day one of the World Leaders' Summit on Monday, Modi will join more than 120 Heads of Government and Heads of State at a special VVIP reception at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions.
(With inputs from agencies)