Modi meets French minister, hopes for success of climate summit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and said he hoped for an equitable and positive outcome at the UN climate change summit in Paris later this month.

Modi also conveyed his deepest condolences at the loss of innocent lives in the terror attacks in Paris last week.

As many as 129 people were killed and 350 others injured in the terror attacks in Paris on November 13.

Fabius also met Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and discussed the upcoming session of 21st Conference of Parties (COP-21) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held from November 30 to December 11 in Paris.

Fabius said India was a very important player in the upcoming climate change negotiations and France expects India to take a leadership role in successful outcome of Paris agreement. 

He also appreciated India's efforts towards launching a Global Solar Alliance on November 30.

The two ministers held a detailed discussion on various key issues and assured each other of "developing key bridging proposals on major issues".

"They hoped to achieve convergence on all the key issues," a Environment Ministry release said.

It said the two leaders agreed to work for an equitable, pragmatic, comprehensive and ambitious agreement based on the principles of Convention of equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR&RC).

During his meeting with Fabius, Modi re-affirmed "the importance that India attached to strategic partnership with France".

He said the UN climate change summit should also provide for enhanced technological, financial and capacity-building support to developing and small countries to enable them to take even more ambitious action to save climate.

"The prime minister expressed the hope for a positive outcome from the forthcoming COP 21 summit that was equitable, balanced and guided by the principles and provisions of the UNFCC, especially the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities," a PMO release said.

Modi said he looked forward to the launch of International Solar Alliance along with French President Francois Hollande and other leaders during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The release said Fabius appreciated the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) declared by India and said it would play an important role in the success of the COP 21 Summit.

A target of 175 GW of additional capacity in renewable energy by 2022 and reduction in emission intensity of 33-35 percent by 2030 are among INDCs submitted by India to the UNFCC.