PARIS, June 3 - India and France today vowed to work together for the successful implementation of the landmark Paris climate agreement and fight the challenge posed by terrorism, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron here.
Modi said India was committed to �go above and beyond� the Paris deal to protect climate for future generations as he termed the UN-brokered agreement a shared legacy of the world, a day after the US President walked out of the accord.
Speaking after holding two hours of wide-ranging talks with Macron at the presidential Elysee Palace here, Modi said the Paris climate deal reflects �our duty towards protecting the mother Earth and our natural resources. For us, this (protection of environment) is an article of faith.�
Addressing a joint press event with Macron, Modi said, �Paris climate agreement is a shared legacy of the world. It will benefit the future generations as well.� He said India is committed to the Paris accord, and �even beyond it, India will work and walk together with others to leave a gift for the future generations.�
Describing the city of Paris as an important part of his political journey, Modi said India and France had worked shoulder to shoulder for this agreement.
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw from the Paris climate change deal on curbing carbon emissions, which had been agreed by more than 190 nations. Trump said the agreement unfairly benefited countries like India and China.
On his part, Macron said he wants to restate France�s full commitment to the fight against climate warming.
The Paris agreement�s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise in this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The landmark agreement, which entered into force last November, calls on countries to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future, and to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.
The two leaders also voiced concern over the growing threat of terrorism worldwide. �Terrorism is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today,� Modi said, adding that he and Macron discussed extensively on how to save the world from terrorism and radicalisation.
�We cannot see the danger of climate change but we can see the horrific effects of terrorism, we can feel it. Innocent people, women, children lose their lives to terror. Every child in France knows the face of terror,� Modi said, referring to a series of terror attacks that rocked France in recent years claiming dozens of lives.
Macron said that the issues of tackling terrorism was discussed at length during his talks with Modi and France fully supports India�s fight against terrorism. � PTI
