Norway signs cooperation agreement with India

Today, Norway’s Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Liv Signe Navarsete and Indian minister Dr. C. P. Joshi signed a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation on local governance in the two countries.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will collaborate on methods to develop local governance and democracy.

“The agreement provides a basis for cooperation between politicians at central and local levels and among researchers in the two countries. There is much we can learn from each other. For example, India has over 80 percent turnout at local elections, which is a much higher turnout than in Norway,” says Liv Signe Navarsete.

Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Dr. C. P. Joshi has been visiting Norway for three days. The Indian minister is responsible for the development of rural areas in India and processes of decentralisation and local governance.

On Tuesday the Indian delegation visited the municipality of Sigdal, in Buskerud county. The visit included a presentation of Sigdal's participation in the Ministry’s project to promote women’s participation in local politics Utstillingsvindauge.

“India is doing much to get more women involved in local politics. Norway is doing the same. We face the same challenges and can learn from each other’s experiences. Minister Joshi found the visit to Sigdal very interesting and was particularly eager to hear about the excellent work being done with young people in Sigdal,” says Navarsete.

• Memorandum of Understanding Between The Ministry of Panchayati Raj Republic of India And The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development
  Kingdom of Norway For Mutual Cooperation on Local Governance (pdf).
  

 

For more information, contact the press centre at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development on tel. +47 22 24 25 00.