Leaders of island nations hail launch of IRIS by PM Modi, Johnson; term it promising initiative

Leaders of island nations welcomed the launch of IRIS by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Tuesday and said the initiative would help the group become more infrastructure resilient, promote inclusive infrastructure and achieve sustainable development.

Prime Minister Modi and Johnson launched the Infrastructure for the Resilient Island States (IRIS) initiative at the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.

The launch was part of the India-UK Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

Addressing a press conference here, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said those attending the event were very laudatory of this initiative.

Referring to the reactions of those who attended the meeting, Shringla said Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama welcomed the launch of India-led IRIS and termed it as a very promising initiative.

"He (Frank Bainimarama) thanked the prime minister for his leadership and felt that the initiative would go beyond technical assistance and capacity," he said.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness congratulated the conveners of the initiative and thanked Prime Minister Modi, in particular, for his invitation, Shringla said.

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said the initiative would undoubtedly help the group become more infrastructure resilient, promote inclusive infrastructure and ultimately achieve sustainable development.

"PM of Mauritius Pravind Jaugant said it was a great pleasure for him to be present at the launch of the event by CDRI. He said since its inception two years ago by PM Modi, the coalition has grown into a global partnership. Mauritius was proud to associate itself with the event and said that it would undoubtedly help the group become more infrastructure resilient, promote inclusive infrastructure and ultimately achieve sustainable development," Shringla said.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Modi pointed out that small island developing states are the most threatened with climate change.

"For them, it's a matter of life and death, a challenge to their existence. Calamities due to climate change can become devastating for them. It isn't only a challenge for their lives but also for their economy," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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