New Delhi: India and Germany on Monday signed a joint declaration on Forest Landscape Restoration and on agro-ecology and sustainable management of natural resources virtually. The two countries signed as one of the deliverables of the 6^th India-Germany IGC.

Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Germany’s Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation Steffi Lemke virtually signed the Joint Declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration.

Indian Government in a statement said that it will provide the platform to further advance the partnership between the two countries and support in areas such as conservation and restoration, climate protection and conservation of bio-diversity. Indian Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar and Germany Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze signed the declaration, again in a virtual mode, with regards to agro-ecology and sustainable management of natural resources.

Under this initiative, Germany intends to provide up to 300 million Euros by the year 2025 for financial and technical cooperation for projects. For the changing agenda of agro-ecology, the two countries envisage the establishment of a joint research centre supported by financial cooperation to develop and share cutting edge knowledge with practitioners from India, Germany and other countries, while facilitating value-added technology and scientific transfer, officials said.

A working group will be set up with the Ministries concerned, namely, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the NITI Aayog to oversee the implementation.