PM Modi invites Kazakhstan to join ISA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the sidelines of the 18th summit of the eight-nation Shanghai cooperation Organisation (SCO) in China's Qingdao city and invited the Central Asian country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), confirmed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Kazakhstan to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the President of Kazakhstan responded positively," MEA Secretary (West) Ruchi Ghanashyam said while briefing media in Qingdao.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an alliance of more than 121 countries.

The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Modi at the India Africa Summit, and a meeting of member countries ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.

As per official website of The International Solar Alliance, it is to provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar resource rich countries where the global community, including bilateral and multilateral organizations, corporate, industry, and other stakeholders, can make a positive contribution to assist and help achieve the common goals of increasing the use of solar energy in meeting energy needs of prospective ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner.

Prime Minister Modi held a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries.

Other leaders attending the summit include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Afghanistn President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.

On Saturday Prime Minister Modi met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

He also met with Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and discussed key sectors of bilateral cooperation.

The recent meetings constitute a part of India's growing engagement with resource-rich Central Asia.

Prime Minister Modi in the evening, will depart for Qingdao Liuting International Airport and emplane for AFS Palam, where he is likely to reach around 10 in the night.