India on Wednesday signed a framework for strategic partnership with the International Energy Agency (IEA) members, aimed at strengthening mutual trust and cooperation and to enhance global energy security, stability and sustainability.
This partnership will lead to an extensive exchange of knowledge and would be a stepping stone towards India becoming a full member of the IEA, the union ministry of power stated in a release.
Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, secretary (power) and Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, signed the MoU on Wednesday.
Details of the strategic partnership will be jointly decided by the IEA members and India, including a phased increase in benefits and responsibilities for India as an IEA strategic partner, and building on existing areas of work within the association. These include the Clean Energy Transition Programmes (CETP), such as energy security, clean and sustainable energy, energy efficiency, enhancing petroleum storage capacity in India, expansion of gas-based economy in India etc.
The IEA secretariat will be responsible for implementation of the cooperative activities in India and for facilitating discussion between the IEA members and India to further develop the strategic partnership.