Modi, Danish PM endorse health, green energy tie-up

Praising Denmark’s success in preventing new infections despite lifting of a national lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India could draw critical lessons from the European nation in its fight against COVID-19 during his phone conversation with Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen.The two leaders shared their experiences in combating the virus and exchanged notes on the steps being taken to tackle the pandemic. They also discussed the situation both locally and globally. They also agreed to create a robust Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark through close collaboration in the areas of health research, clean energy, and climate change, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Concluding their talks, the two leaders welcomed the successful organisation of the Joint Commission Meeting between the two foreign ministers on May 12. Denmark is one of the few countries in Europe, which has recorded fewer deaths from coronavirus despite thousands of positive cases. According to its health department, there were 537 deaths among 10,713 positive cases, of which 8,805 have recovered. Although the situation could change any moment, given the unpredictable nature and little information about the virus, the low mortality rate has been a great relief for the country. In contrast, countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, have seen an unprecedented number of fatalities and infections, forcing the governments to adopt harsh measures. In India, the number of infections and deaths has been increasing steadily. According to the latest official statistics, the confirmed cases rose to nearly 80,000, with over 2,500 deaths. Some health experts warn that the worst is still to come, and it is not a time to lower the guards. The government has announced to extend a national lockdown for the fourth consecutive time with a few more relaxations in rules as part of a strategy to give some breathing space to the cratering economy. Reports of mass lay-offs and hunger deaths of migrant laborers in some states have further deepened worries of what lay ahead for India in the future.