The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Biman Prasad met India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in Bangaluru yesterday.

The Deputy Prime Minister congratulated Minister Puri for successfully hosting the first-ever India Energy Week with a focus on decarbonisation and transition to a clean energy economy.

Discussions focused on how India can support Fiji in its energy transition with the transfer of technology to improve energy efficiency, develop more renewable energy sources and build climate-smart infrastructure. Minister Puri also assured India’s support towards the housing sector with a focus on smart low-cost construction technology and the potential involvement of the Indian private sector in any future Housing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Projects in Fiji.

Minister Prasad also participated in a high level Ministerial Session on “Strategies for a sustainable and decarbonised future”.

During the discussions, he highlighted the urgent need for global action on decarbonisation if the world is to genuinely fight issues like climate change which is having devastating impact on the lives and livelihoods of people in small developing island counties like Fiji. He also called upon the developed world to support affordable technology transfer in assisting counties with smooth and economically feasible energy transition.

The Finance Minister was joined by His Excellency Lyonpo Loknath Sharma, Minister for Economic Affairs, Bhutan, His Excellency January Yusuf Makamba, Minister for Energy, Tanzania, His Excellency Dr Tawfiq e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, Advisor (Minister) to the Prime Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs, Bangladesh and H.E. Dr. Ana Fontoura Gouveia, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate of Portugal.

DPM Prasad will be traveling to Delhi tomorrow and will have a number of high level bilateral engagements with the Indian External Affairs Minister Hon. Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of State for External Affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. He is also expected to meet the Minister for Finance Honourable Nirmala Sitharaman.