New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dismissed that there was any pressure to ink a pact similar to US-China agreement on emission cuts as India and the US announced important steps to promote clean energy and confront climate change.
Speaking after talks with visiting US President Barack Obama here, Modi said "President and I expressed hope for a successful Paris Conference on climate change this year".
Obama said that the two countries have agreed to make "concrete progress" in phasing out major greenhouse gases apart from expanding solar energy initiatives and launching joint projects to improve air quality in Indian cities.
Both the countries agreed to "pursue" for a strong global climate pact on emission cuts in the forthcoming UN climate conference to be held in Paris in December this year.
"India's voice is very important on this issue. Perhaps no country could potentially be more affected by the impacts of climate change and no country is going to be more important in moving forward a strong agreement than India," Obama said in a joint press meet while referring to Paris climate talks.
Noting that both countries have agreed to a number of important steps to promote clean energy and confront climate change, he said the US supports India's goal for solar energy and it "stands to speed this expansion with additional financing".
"We are also launching new joint projects to improve air quality in Indian cities. The US will share more data and develop tools to help India assess and adapt to the impact of climate change and help vulnerable communities become more resilient," he said.
On a query whether there was pressure on India to ink a pact similar to the one signed between the US and China on emission cuts, Modi said, "India is an independent country.
Pressure of any country or a person does not affect India. "There is a pressure on this issue that what kind of environment we wish to provide for future generation.
"Climate change is itself a pressure. Global warming is itself a pressure. It is the responsibility of those, who are concerned about future generation, to become conscious about climate change and adopt policies so that we are able to give good future and good environment to next generation.
"I feel that every government, every country and every person should have this pressure. We understand this pressure and responding accordingly," Modi said. On terrorism, the Prime Minister said it remains a principal global threat taking on a new character even as existing challenges persist.
Modi said the two countries will deepen their bilateral security cooperation against terrorist groups and further enhance counter-terrorism capabilities including in the area of technology.
Touching on regional cooperation, Modi said the two countries renewed their commitment to deepen cooperation to advance peace, stability, prosperity in Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region which is critical for the future of the two countries and the world.
Modi said they also discussed working on how to help in the transformation of Afghanistan, apparently after complete withdrawal of the US troops.
Obama said both the countries are going to be strong and reliable partners for people of Afghanistan.
The two leaders said they have decided to scale up their economic relationship including holding talks in future on a bilateral investment treaty.
Modi said India and the US would also restart discussions on a social security agreement which is important for the hundreds of thousands of Indian professionals working in the US.
Obama said in the last few years there has been a 60 per cent increase in the bilateral trade and wanted the trade level to reach USD 100 billion, which he hoped, could be achieved with Modi government's commitment to liberalise ease of doing business.
