India, Finland announce digital and sustainability partnerships

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin on Tuesday announced a digital partnership in information and communications technology, future mobile technologies and digital education at a virtual summit.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two leaders also announced a sustainability partnership involving renewable and clean energy, circular economy and sustainable mobility.

In the summit, Modi and Marin reaffirmed their strong commitment to multilateralism, a rules based international order and to work towards sustainable development goals and combating climate change, it said.

The two prime ministers also exchanged views on the coronavirus pandemic including on vaccine solidarity and emphasied the unprecedented global efforts in speeding up the development and scaling up of manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccine.

The two sides also announced a high-level dialogue between the education ministries of both the countries to expand cooperation in the area.

"Both sides noted the growing importance of Africa and referred to their efforts to enhance cooperation in Africa," said Neeta Bhushan, Joint Secretary, Central Europe division in the MEA.

She said the virtual summit will help in carrying forward the momentum of the multi-faceted bilateral ties.

"The two leaders expressed satisfaction and confidence that the areas of cooperation under India-Finland partnership will continue to deepen and gain further strength," she said at a media briefing.

In his opening remarks, Modi said India has taken care of needs of the world along with its domestic struggle during the pandemic and that more than 58 million made in India coronavirus vaccine doses reached about 70 countries in the recent weeks.

Modi also said that both India and Finland believed in a rules-based, transparent, humanitarian and democratic global order and the two countries have strong cooperation in areas like technology, innovation, clean energy, environment and education.

The prime minister also urged Finland to join the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Both the organisations took shape following India's initiative.

"These international institutions will benefit from Finland's ability and expertise," he said. The Finnish prime minister said there was scope for further intensification of bilateral ties in areas of education, technology and trade.