India, Sweden hold talks on climate change, energy

Nov 5, 2009, 16:48 GMT

New Delhi - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Swedish counterpart, Fredrik Reinfeldt, Thursday held talks on a wide range of issues in hopes of providing a fresh impetus to bilateral ties in the areas of trade, energy and environment.

Singh held delegation-level talks with Reinfeldt, who arrived Thursday morning on a three-day visit to attend the annual summit between India and the 27-nation European Union on Friday. Sweden is the current chair of the EU.

The global financial crisis and climate change dominated the discussions, an Indian foreign ministry official said, declining to give details.

Both sides also held talks on a pact which provides for an exchange of views and information and collaborative ventures in the field of environment.

The two countries also discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in civil nuclear energy and non-renewable energy.

Sweden, a member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which last year lifted a 34-year-old ban on the South Asian country, allowing it to trade in nuclear materials, has expertise in nuclear waste management and security.

Earlier on Thursday, Reinfeldt, who spoke at the Delhi-based The Energy and Research Institute, made a strong pitch for reaching an agreement on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol at Copenhagen talks in December.

He said developing countries accounted for a significant share in greenhouse emissions and sought India's support for the new global deal.

'More than 50 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions are from the developing countries ... we have to do this together,' he said.

He said emerging economies - including India, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa - along with the US, the biggest emitter, will be crucial to the success of plans to deal with climate change.

Reinfeldt met India's Vice-President Hamid Ansari, ruling United Progressive Alliance Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi and Foreign Minister SM Krishna earlier on Thursday.

The Swedish leader, along with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, will represent the European Union at the 10th India- EU summit Friday.

The two sides are likely to sign two agreements in the fields of civil nuclear energy and counterterrorism.