India, Sweden Likely to Ink MoU on Enviroment during Reinfeldt’s Visit
India and Sweden are likely to ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on environment during visit of Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to India for attending the 10th India-EU summit.
Issues like climate change, clean technology, clean development mechanisms, environmental protection, environmental governance and air-water quality will be covered under the MoU.
The MoU will pave the way for establishment of a joint working group which will supervise implementation. Reports said that the MoU is ready and final and it is likely to be signed during the visit.
During the visit, Reinfeldt, who became Swedish Prime Minister in 2006 at the age of 40, will be attending the 10th India-EU Summit on November 6, since Sweden currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency. Besides, he will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
According to reports, Sweden has offered to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2020 – the highest any government has made a public commitment about. There is also a possibility of a deal on the energy sector, possibly pertaining to nuclear power, sources said.
Meanwhile, the European Union on Wednesday raised the issues of child labour and environment again, asking India to address them in the Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations between the two sides.
