Iceland president keen on Indian investment in energy sector
By IANSFriday, January 15, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the longest-serving head of state of the island nation, has met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and lobbied for Indian investment in the renewable energy sector.
Grimsson, accompanied by his wife Dorrit Moussaieff and a 20-member business delegation, reached Mumbai Jan 11 to begin his seven-day state visit to India. He reached Delhi Jan 13 for the operational part of the visit, and left for Bangalore Friday.
On Thursday, Grimsson held extensive discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, especially on oil exploration possibilities along the Icelandic coast, as well as cooperation in the sectors of geo-thermal energy, Information Technology, carbon sequestration and recycling, glaciological studies and earthquake prediction.
They also discussed the way forward on Climate Change after the COP-15 Conference, said the external affairs ministry in a press release.
Grimsson was conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for the year 2007 by President Pratibha Patil, who also hosted a state banquet in his honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace.
In his interaction with captains of Indian industry, Grimsson, who was re-elected for a fourth term, invited Indian investment, especially in the areas of renewable energy.
“Geothermal energy can play a significant role in the electricity production of countries and regions rich in high-temperature fields which are associated with volcanic activity. Capacity building and transfer of technology are key issues in the sustainable development of geothermal resources,” said Grimsson.
On Friday, he participated in seminar on geo-thermal energy and also went to the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School for International Studies.
President Grimsson left for Bangalore where he will meet the Karnataka governor and also visit the facilities of some Indian companies, including Wipro.
