NEW DELHI: India and Denmark are on the verge of overcoming a historical hurdle that had held up bilateral relations between the two countries. In India this week to attend the Raisina Dialogue and meet foreign minister S Jaishankar, the Denmark foreign minister Jeppe Kofod told TOI in an exclusive conversation that Denmark and India would develop a “green strategic partnership” which would the first of its kind.
“We have a good relationship with India. We're trying to see if we can develop a green strategic partnership. This would bring together governments, businesses, investors, civil society and knowledge institutions — share our experiences but also put our heads together to solve problems — say, how do we clean waste water. How do we give our people clean drinking water? Solutions that can be scaled up globally and where we can boost competitiveness. We want to do it in a sustainable fashion, so that nobody is left behind.”
For decades India and Denmark have remained estranged due to the Kim Davy problem, of the Purulia arms drop fame. Essentially it meant, India has wanted custody of Davy, which was prevented by Denmarks legal system. Relations had deteriorated to the extent of affecting normal diplomatic exchanges. But with Modi keen to engage Denmark from his first term for some of his flagship devlopment programes with green energy and water, the effort has been to overcome this particular hurdle.
According to government sources here, India and Denmark are in the process of transferring Davy to a detention “guest house” in West Bengal. From all accounts, the Indian government would identify the property, it would be inspected and cleared by the Danish security and legal systems before Davy can be lodged there. But the process has started, opening up the diplomatic and political ties between new Delhi and Copenhagen.
Questioned, Kofod evaded a direct answer, saying “This is something that is running on a separate track with state authorities and state prosecutors and here in India. There is collaboration between Danish and Indian authorities.”
But the core of the new relationship he stressed would be climate change, energy and water. “In the issues dealing with climate change, environmental challenges, we seeRead More – Source
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