PM Extends Invitation to Kazakhstan to Join Solar Alliance

Romania Joins As The 118th Member Country Of International Solar Alliance

PM also held series of meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. Those include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.

On the sidelines of the 18^th summit of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held in China’s Qingdao city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev and invited the country to join India led International Solar Alliance (ISA).

MEA Secretary (West) Ruchi Ghanashyam said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Kazakhstan to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the President of Kazakhstan responded positively”.

Launched by the Prime Minister at the India Africa Summit in 2015, ISA is an alliance of more than 121 countries. The first meeting of the member states took place in the same year in United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November.

The website of the ISA says, it is to provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar resource-rich countries where the global community, including bilateral and multilateral organizations, corporate, industry, and other stakeholders, can make a positive contribution to assist and help achieve the common goals of increasing the use of solar energy in meeting energy needs of prospective ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner.

Apart from Kazakhstan’s President, PM also held series of meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. Those include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.

He also met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He also met with Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and discussed key sectors of bilateral cooperation. The recent meetings constitute a part of India’s growing engagement with resource-rich Central Asia.