Energy transition programme is an important step in combating climate change by shifting from fossil fuels to greener options, including renewable energy…reports Asian Lite News
India and Maldives on Tuesday proposed to establish transmission interconnection for renewable power transfer as part of ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ initiative to facilitate Maldives’ energy transition programme.
A draft agreement is being prepared for MoU on transmission interconnection under which a technical team from India would visit Maldives to assess its technical feasibility.
Thereafter a detailed project report, including for undersea cable route survey and network augmentation, in Male (capital of Maldives) would be prepared jointly with Indian and Maldives agencies.
This was announced when the Maldives’ Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Aminath Shauna, met India’s Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh in New Delhi.
Energy transition programme is an important step in combating climate change by shifting from fossil fuels to greener options, including renewable energy.
Singh appreciated the resolve of the Maldives government to achieve net zero emission target by 2030. Apart from the MoU on transmission interconnection under ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’, the two leaders also proposed another MoU on energy cooperation.
Maldives’ Environment Minister also met Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who too appreciated the climate actions taken by Maldives.
Stressing the importance of concrete action on adaptation in tackling climate change, Yadav asserted that “India and Maldives should join hands to fight climate change to ensure climate justice to all, especially to the developing countries”.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen ongoing bilateral cooperation between India and Maldives not only for combating environmental issues and climate change, but also explore for enhancing cooperation for greater economic integration.
Navy chief in Maldives
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar chose the Maldives for his first overseas visit, emphasising the significance of the bilateral partnership between the two countries as India-Maldives share common perspectives on maritime security issues.
During his three-day visit, Admiral Hari Kumar called on President Ibrahim Mohamad Solih, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, and Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, besides the Chief of Defence Force, Major General Abdulla Shamaal to boost cooperation between the Indian Navy and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) in the area of maritime information, maritime domain awareness, bilateral maritime agreements, and capacity-building initiatives.
Mariya Didi thanked India for providing swift, unconditional support to the island nation at all times and highlighted that the India-Maldives defence partnership is at its pinnacle, Policy Research Group reported.
The Maldives is not just among India’s foremost development partners in South Asia but also a reliable and trustworthy defence and security partner, more so since defence partnership is emerging critical to maintaining peace and stability in the Southern Indian Ocean Region, Policy Research Group reported further.
“CNS’s first overseas visit, guided by Prime Minister’s ‘Five S’ Vision, further consolidated the long-standing bilateral relations between two close maritime neighbours,” the spokesperson of the Indian Navy stated in a Twitter post.
“New avenues have been identified for expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation in defence and maritime domain,” he added.
