Copenhagen, June 6 (IANS) India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal and Denmark’s Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Morten Bodskov, on Friday agreed to strengthen the bilateral maritime collaboration between the two countries, which includes promoting the green transition of the maritime sector.

The two ministers reaffirmed the Green Strategic Partnership, as mutually agreed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen. The Ministers highlighted the importance of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on maritime affairs signed in 2024, which encompasses the establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Green Shipping.

The Ministers emphasised that the newly established Centre is intended to improve the quality and efficiency of maritime activities while promoting the green transition of the maritime sector in India. They highlighted alignment with targets set out in the Indian government’s Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, including India’s ambitions to become a green shipping hub for the international maritime sector.

Recalling that the establishment of green corridors has further been defined as a priority by the Indian government, the ministers agreed that the Indo-Danish Centre of Excellence will contribute to the development of green corridors through the conduct of a pre-feasibility study. The study will serve as a preliminary assessment of the main components of possible green corridors in India and outline the most promising ones.

The two countries agreed that the study will be carried out by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Moller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping, applying its methodological blueprint, and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, as well as other relevant Indian ministries.

Union Minister Sonowal is on an official visit to Denmark on June 5-6. He arrived in Copenhagen after completing his visit to Norway, where he attended the Nor Shipping event.

During the minister’s visit to Oslo, Indian maritime companies bagged shipbuilding orders and signed MoUs with leading global players to explore opportunities for collaboration and future business.

–IANS

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