Delhi, 23 July 2022 (TDI): Alok Sharma, President of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) arrived in India on a two-day official visit. He met with Bhupender Yadav, Indian Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
The COP26 President and Indian Minister discussed areas of cooperation under the Paris Agreement and COP26 agreements to accelerate global climate actions. They also discussed Just energy Transition Partnerships.
Moreover, the COP26 President also visited International Solar Alliance (ISI) headquarters at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Delhi. He appreciated India’s shift towards renewable energy.
The President discussed ways to enhance the partnership between the two countries on Green Grids Initiative — One Sun, One World, One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG), launched at the COP26.
Also read: COP26 President’s Speech on the Inauguration
Furthermore, the President had a meeting with Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Modi. They discussed advancing cooperation through collaborations with Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
Apart from this, during his visit, the COP26 President also met with officials of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) on Wednesday. He welcomed the NITI’s approach toward clean energy transition.
UK-India Relations
The UK and India maintain strong strategic relations. India serves as a key strategic partner of the UK in the Indo-pacific region. Both states have launched several joint initiatives, including the UK-India Education and research initiative, which started in 2006.
Moreover, in 2021, Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom, Narendra Modi and Boris Johnson, agreed to strengthen the UK-India bilateral relations by launching a 2030 roadmap.
The roadmap will provide the framework to advance cooperation among both states. The areas of cooperation include health, climate, trade, education, technology, and defense.
Apart from this, both states maintain strong trade relations. In 2021, the total trade (exports plus imports) was £24.3 billion. Moreover, India was termed the 12th largest trading partner of the UK.
