A Japanese delegation led by Kazuhiro Haraguchi, Minister for InternalAffairs and Communications, met the Union Minister for New &Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah. The meeting discussed variousaspects of cooperation between the two countries in the field ofrenewable energy.

The two sides decided to jointly develop onecity in India as “solar city”. The Solar City project aims to reduce aminimum of 10 percent of its projected demand of conventional energy atthe end of five years through energy efficiency measures and generationfrom renewable energy installations. Government has, so far, givenin-principle approval to 34 cities in the country to be developed asSolar Cities.

Japan wants to promote “Midori no Bunken”, whichaims at changing centralized society to community based society toenhance self sufficiency within a region through maximizing naturalresources (forest, sea, food) and energy, with emphasis on not relyingon electricity generated by others. It focuses on renewable energy likesolar, wind, micro hydel and biomass energy.

The two sidesalso agreed to strengthen cooperation in Research and Development forpromoting renewable energy. As part of the exchange programme, a10-member delegation from India will participate in the Japan-India Newand Renewable Energy Seminar in Tokyo later this month. The delegationwill include representatives from Central Government, State Governmentsand Nodal Agencies.