India, France to work towards implementation of CoP21 goals

New Delhi: After successful conclusion of the Paris climate change summit, India and France on Monday agreed to work towards the realization of the agreement's goals and carry out its implementation by collaborating in the field of sustainable development and energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated French President Francois Hollande for his "sustained" diplomatic efforts that paved way for adoption of the Paris agreement which was based on the principle of "climate justice" and fostering climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development.

"The visit to India is the first foreign visit by President Hollande since the conclusion of COP21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated President Francois Hollande for France's valuable leadership and sustained diplomatic efforts that paved the way for the successful conclusion of COP21 in Paris in December 2015..."...and adoption of the Paris agreement, based on the

principles of climate justice, and fostering climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development," a joint statement by the two countries said.

The universal agreements, which were reached at Conference of Parties (CoP21), aims to keep the global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius this century and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

President Hollande also thanked India and Modi for playing an "important and proactive" role in the negotiations.

"India and France agreed to continue to work with each other and with the global community towards the realization of the goals of the Paris Agreement," the statement said.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement adopted at the end of the COP-21, the bilateral cooperation between France and India is today "more than ever" committed to meet the climate challenge, it said.

The two countries wish to carry out the implementation Paris agreement goals by promoting collaboration in sustainable development and energy between governments, regions, cities and also companies, the statement said.

India had hailed as "historic" the adoption of a legally-binding pact in Paris but said the deal could have been more ambitious had developed nations shouldered more historical responsibilities.