Date:05/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090560381300.htm

National

French agency may finance development projects in India

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: French Director-General Jean-Michel Severino of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is arriving here on September 9 on a two-day visit to discuss the AFD’s launch activities in India.

The AFD, a bilateral development finance institution established in 1941, which is active in 70 countries, is looking beyond Africa and focusing on Asia, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, South America and the French Overseas Territories for financing development activities. The institution’s entry into India will serve the purpose of carrying forward the India- France development cooperation agreement signed during French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to India in January , said the French Embassy in a press release.

In emerging countries, the AFD supports low carbon emission projects based on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Following the response to its interventions in China and Thailand, the AFD is now looking to exploring development initiatives in India and Brazil, with a special focus on the fight against climate change. Also on top of the AFD agenda are activities aimed at ensuring water supply and preserving tropical forests. Besides that, it facilitates enrolment of children into schools, supports farmers and small enterprises. These projects are guided by the objective of protecting Global Public Goods.