India, Australia launch renewable energy partnership

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 19 (PTI): India and Australia on Tuesday officially launched the Renewable Energy Partnership aimed at boosting two-way investment in the renewable energy sectors as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese her.

India, Australia launch renewable energy partnership

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 19 (PTI): India and Australia on Tuesday officially launched the Renewable Energy Partnership aimed at boosting two-way investment in the renewable energy sectors as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese here.

The two leaders held the 2nd India-Australia Annual Summit on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro during which they reiterated their commitment to further advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in myriad areas like defence & security, trade & investment, education, skills, sports, space, mobility & people-to-people ties.

Both leaders welcomed the launch of the Renewable Energy Partnership (REP), as agreed during the 1st India-Australia annual summit.

"India and Australia have shared ambition to move faster, work together and deploy our complementary capabilities to drive climate action," according to a joint statement.

"The Prime Ministers welcomed the launch of the India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership (REP) which would provide the framework for practical cooperation in priority areas such as solar PV, green hydrogen, energy storage, two-way investment in renewable energy projects and allied areas; and upgraded skills training for the renewables workforce of the future," the joint statement read.

"Our renewable energy partnership is officially launched," Albanese said, adding that this new partnership will boost two-way investment in the renewable energy sectors in things like solar, green hydrogen and the renewables workforce.   "We are doing so much work together on driving renewable energy transition to meet our net zero targets," he said.

"Bilateral ties reaching new heights! PM @narendramodi and PM @AlboMP of Australia held the 2nd India-Australia Annual Summit today, on the sidelines of #G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X.

"Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further advance India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in myriad areas like defence & security, trade & investment, education, skills, sports, space, mobility & people-to-people ties," the post said.

"The leaders welcomed the launch of the Renewable Energy Partnership (REP), as agreed during the 1st India-Australia Annual Summit," the MEA post on X said.

Both the leaders also "welcomed sustained progress under the defence and security pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They expressed intent to renew and strengthen the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation in 2025, to reflect ambition in both countries’ elevated defence and security partnership and strategic convergence," according to the joint statement.

They "looked forward to a long-term vision of defence and security collaboration between the two countries to enhance collective strength, contribute to both countries’ security and make an important contribution to regional peace and security," it said.

Prime Minister Modi and Albanese also welcomed arrangements for "enhancing maritime domain awareness and increased and reciprocal defence information-sharing to deepen operational defence cooperation, address shared concerns and challenges, and work towards an open, inclusive, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific," the statement said.

"We have been working together to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, and we will continue to do so," Modi said.

"They agreed to develop a joint maritime security collaboration road map. The Prime Ministers agreed to continue aircraft deployments from each other’s territories to build operational familiarity." Regarding regional and multilateral cooperation, both leaders "reiterated their commitment to supporting an open, inclusive, stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific where sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected." "The Prime Ministers underlined the importance of being able to exercise rights and freedoms in all seas and oceans consistent with international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight," the joint statement said.

Modi also said," We have stressed dialogue and diplomacy to solve global conflicts and tensions. We also agree on the need to reform international institutions next year." Regarding the Indian community in Australia, Prime Minister Modi said," Prime Minister Albanese has assured me of his commitment to the interests of the Indian community, especially Indian students in Australia." Also, there has been the opening of the new Consulate-General of Australia in Bengaluru and the new Consulate-General of India in Brisbane.

Both leaders welcomed the new openings. and they "expressed confidence that these will further strengthen trade and investment relations and deepen cultural links." According to the High Commission of India in Canberra, as per the 2021 census, about 9,76,000 people in Australia trace Indian ancestry. Indian diaspora is the second largest and fastest growing diaspora in Australia.

Indian students numbering 1,22,391 (September 2023) form the second largest cohort of foreign-born students in Australia, according to the website. PTI AMS ZH AMS

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