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India-Africa summit: PM seeks cooperation on climate change, terror

by IBNS 29 Oct 2015, 10:25 pm

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IBNS) India and African nations decided on Thursday to step up cooperation to fight climate change and terrorism.

At the third India-Africa summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi  made a strong call for partnership, including a "comprehensive" agreement on climate change, which the visiting leaders fully supported.

“So, when the world meets in Paris in December, we look to see a comprehensive and concrete outcome that is based on the well established principles in the UN Convention on Climate Change. We will all do our part for it," Modi said.

“For India, 175 GW of additional renewable energy capacity by 2022 and reduction in emission intensity by 33-35% by 2030 are just two aspects of our efforts,” the Prime Minister said, adding that India was making “enormous efforts” with its “modest resources” to combat climate change.

The visiting African leaders also  agreed to step up  cooperation in counter-terrorism and maritime security against the threats of organisations  like Boko Haram, operating in several African countries.

“Africa, like the rest of the developing world, has its development challenges. And, like others in the world, it has its own concerns of security and stability, especially from terrorism and extremism,” Modi said. 

“That is why we wish to deepen our cooperation in maritime security and hydrography, and countering terrorism and extremism; and why we must have a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).”

The participants called on all countries to ensure their territories were not used for cross-border terrorist activities, while acknowledging that the menace of non-state actors, including armed groups, had acquired “a new dimension”.

“We have excellent defence and security cooperation with many African countries. We have done this bilaterally and through multilateral and regional mechanisms. Closer defence and security cooperation, especially in capability development, will be a key pillar of India-Africa partnership,”  the Prime Minister said.