India and Denmark are ready to accelerate their Green Strategic Partnership when Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen begins her three-day visit to India on Saturday, becoming the first foreign head of government to be received by PM Narendra Modi since the Covid-19 crisis broke out.
Frederiksen's visit confirms not only the strengthened political, economic and commercial relations between Denmark and India but also gives a massive push to the Green Strategic Partnership that both countries entered into in September 2020.
Denmark is the only country in the world with which India has a Green Strategic Partnership which also opens the door to green Danish solutions in India's green transition. At the same time, the visit gives an opportunity to discuss the importance of cooperation for the climate area in the run-up to COP26.
"Denmark has a long tradition of engaging in the challenges of the world. This is especially true in the green energy transition, where India as a strong and ambitious player is crucial in solving the climate challenges facing the whole world," Frederiksen stated before leaving for New Delhi.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen, last month (Image courtesy: Twitter/@Statsmin)
The last few years have witnessed a strong bilateral relationship developing between both the countries.
A year after Frederiksen and PM Modi held their first ever virtual summit in September 2020, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Copenhagen last month – the first by an Indian Foreign Minister for 20 years – to undertake a comprehensive review of the Indo-Danish partnership.
Solutions and size, skills and scale
Denmark is a global leader in several niche technologies which are of relevance to India. Mentioning that Denmark has skills, India has scale and the world has the need for new technologies, PM Modi had stressed on establishing a research platform where solutions could be found to global issues of concern such as food security, water management, climate change and sustainable development.
The Green Strategic Partnership, which has added a new dimension to the bilateral relations, is the first agreement of its kind, which expands cooperation in renewable energy, environment, circular economy, water and waste management, reducing air pollution and various other sectors.
It advances political cooperation, expands economic relations and green growth, creates jobs and strengthens cooperation on addressing global challenges and opportunities with focus on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
There are around 200 Danish companies operating in like India Grundfos, Vestss, Maersk, Haldor, Topsoe and CIP which have invested in areas such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture and food processing and are keen to expand their engagements in other sectors like smart urban development and waste-to-energy. Major chambers like DIDE, Danish shipping and Agriculture and Food Council are also expanding the new age partnership. Similarly, there are 60 Indian companies that have invested in Denmark.
"Our Green Strategic Partnership has great potential for Danish companies and Danish exports. In Denmark, we have the solutions, while India, as one of the most populous countries in the world, has the size to be able to push the green transition on a global scale," Frederiksen said ahead of her India visit.
As the two sides envisage the energy partnership to be further strengthened over the coming years, PM Modi had already invited "like-minded" Denmark to join India, Japan and Australia for supply-chain diversification and resilience. Considerable progress is expected to be made in this and several other spheres over the weekend.
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