India key player at Paris climate meet, says France’s Laurent Fabius

Terming India as a key player in the upcoming Paris climate change summit, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius on Friday said he believes India will bring decisive solutions to many issues during the summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande will launch the International Solar Alliance at the summit, an idea that was first mooted by Modi, he said.

Fabius, who was speaking after his meeting with Prime Minister Modi and environment minister Prakash Javadekar, said India will play a pivotal role at the summit.

“India for many reasons is a key player and a close friend. It is important that we understand what the approach of India is when it comes to the summit. The presidency should be impartial and help find solutions. But the solutions cannot be found without the consensus of a country like India,” Fabius said at a joint media interaction with Javadekar.

Over 190 countries will take part in the Conference of Parties (CoP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris that starts on 30 November to finalize a new global climate regime.

Many head of state, including US President Barack Obama, will participate.

Fabius also announced support to Modi’s idea of forming an International Solar Alliance.

“We support India’s plan to set up an international alliance that will bring an important contribution to ensuring access to low-carbon energy.” he said.

Javadekar said Modi will reach Paris on 29 November and address the summit on 30 November.