UN Secretary General to visit India with focus on renewable energy

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will embark on a four-day visit to India from October 1 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during which he will attend a series of events on renewable energy and sanitation, it was announced on Friday.

According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, Guterres and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the joint inaugural ceremony of the first General Assembly of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Second Global Re-Invest Conference and the Second Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association of States (IORA) member countries on October 2 here.

The UN chief will also be participating in the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention the same day which will mark the launch of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations as well as the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The inauguration of the ISA General Assembly will be followed by the ministerial level assembly the following day.

Launched by Prime Minister Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015, ISA was conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and till date, 68 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement.

Being organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the Second Global Re-Invest Conference will build upon the success of Re-Invest 2015 and provide an international forum to established players as well as new segments of investors and entrepreneurs to engage, ideate and innovate and explore strategies for development and deployment of renewable energy sources.

The Second IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting is expected to provide a platform for discussion on energy needs within the region, identification of hurdles in cooperation and coordination among concerned agencies and potential avenues of collaboration.

The IORA is an international organisation consisting of 21 coastal states, including India, bordering the Indian Ocean.

--IANS

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