<p>Recognising climate change as a “defining challenge”, India and the US have announced the establishment of a joint working group to develop and enhance action-oriented cooperation in the key sector.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In a joint statement after the summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama, the two leaders announced the group to begin an enhanced dialogue focusing on working closely in developing an ambitious climate change agreement for the post-2020 period and also on strengthening bilateral efforts in this <br />regard.<br /><br />“Recognising that climate change is a defining challenge of our time and that there are mutual benefits to intensifying cooperation, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh announced the establishment of an India-US Climate Change Working Group to develop and advance action-oriented cooperation,” the statement said.<br /><br />Singh also told Obama that certain aspects of the proposed changes in the American immigration laws will hit Indian IT professionals, eliciting a promise from the US that concerns will be looked into.<br /><br />He expressed concerns over the changes proposed by the US in the immigration laws. He noted that any restrictions on the movement of services would have an adverse impact on India.<br /><br />The prime minister raised the issue during his three-hour discussion with Obama in Washington on Friday. He said the Indian IT sector “is a major contributor to the US’ GDP” and employment generation besides being a cementing force between the two countries and any barriers would be counter-productive.<br /><br />The US president said the concerns would be looked into while considering changes in immigration laws. He told Singh that the matter “is still an open question and it is not going to happen in the next few months as it is still under consideration of Congress”.<br /><br />The two leaders agreed to immediately convene the India-US Task Force on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to discuss multilateral approaches that include using the expertise and the institutions of the Montreal Protocol to bring down the consumption and production of HFCs, based on economically- viable and technically feasible alternatives.<br /></p>
<p>Recognising climate change as a “defining challenge”, India and the US have announced the establishment of a joint working group to develop and enhance action-oriented cooperation in the key sector.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In a joint statement after the summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama, the two leaders announced the group to begin an enhanced dialogue focusing on working closely in developing an ambitious climate change agreement for the post-2020 period and also on strengthening bilateral efforts in this <br />regard.<br /><br />“Recognising that climate change is a defining challenge of our time and that there are mutual benefits to intensifying cooperation, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh announced the establishment of an India-US Climate Change Working Group to develop and advance action-oriented cooperation,” the statement said.<br /><br />Singh also told Obama that certain aspects of the proposed changes in the American immigration laws will hit Indian IT professionals, eliciting a promise from the US that concerns will be looked into.<br /><br />He expressed concerns over the changes proposed by the US in the immigration laws. He noted that any restrictions on the movement of services would have an adverse impact on India.<br /><br />The prime minister raised the issue during his three-hour discussion with Obama in Washington on Friday. He said the Indian IT sector “is a major contributor to the US’ GDP” and employment generation besides being a cementing force between the two countries and any barriers would be counter-productive.<br /><br />The US president said the concerns would be looked into while considering changes in immigration laws. He told Singh that the matter “is still an open question and it is not going to happen in the next few months as it is still under consideration of Congress”.<br /><br />The two leaders agreed to immediately convene the India-US Task Force on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to discuss multilateral approaches that include using the expertise and the institutions of the Montreal Protocol to bring down the consumption and production of HFCs, based on economically- viable and technically feasible alternatives.<br /></p>