Cabinet okays India-Finland environment protection pact

The government on Wednesday approved an agreement between India and Finland on cooperation in environment protection in both countries.

The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the memorandum of cooperation between the two countries, which include partnership in air and water pollution prevention and purification, waste management and climate change, among others.

"The memorandum of cooperation is expected to bring in the latest technologies and the best practices suited for bringing about better environment protection, better conservation, and better management of climate change and wildlife protection/conservation," the government said in a statement.

The agreement will also include cooperation in promotion of circular economy, low-carbon solutions, sustainable management of natural resources conservation of marine and coastal resources, integrated water management of oceanic or sea islands, it said.

The Cabinet also gave its ex post facto approval to the memorandum of understanding signed between India and Romania in the field of tourism.

The agreement, which was signed in September, during the visit of the Vice-President of India to Romania, aims to expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector, promote safe, honourable and sustainable tourism among others.

Romania is a potential tourism market for India, which received approximately 11,844 tourists from the European nation last year.