India and the Netherlands agreed on a strategic partnership on water as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte held a virtual summit on Friday.
Noting that innovation, technology and governance are key aspects of Indo-Dutch water cooperation, Modi and Rutte agreed to further intensify and broaden the cooperation in new areas including water budgeting, cost-effective decentralised treatment technologies, converting wastewater to energy, application of Artificial Intelligence in decision making, non-point pollution source assessment and abatement, mapping of ecosystem services, reclaiming river space, basin protection against disasters, river hazard management, introduction of new water technologies and capacity building through training programmes.
They welcomed the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding to promote technical cooperation in the fields of spatial planning, water management and mobility management. Under the MoU, India seeks to explore cooperation with the Netherlands in urban development, utilizing its strength in integrated urban planning, including provision of adequate public spaces, pedestrianisation, cycling infrastructure and preservation of water bodies.
Modi conveyed to Rutte that India welcomed the Netherlands’ guidelines on the Indo-Pacific, which recognised the importance of the region for global peace, security and prosperity and identifies India as a key partner to engage with. Both leaders emphasised the close convergence between each other's vision for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
(Published 09 April 2021, 18:08 IST)
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