Bengaluru, Feb 7 (IANS): The Indian government on Tuesday signed a pact with the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) for strengthening cooperation in the field of data and research and for enhancing global energy security, stability, and sustainability.

The Statement of Intent (SoI) was signed in the presence of Petroleum and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri, by P Manoj Kumar, Director General of Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) and Fatih Birol, Executive Director of IEA, on the sidelines of India Energy Week, being held in Bengaluru from February 6 to 8.

The SoI will initiate cooperation in the energy sector between the PPAC and the IEA, wherein comprehensive datasets, reports and analyses will be made available for better analysis and interpretation.

The training and internships of officers from PPAC to IEA for energy modelling and statistics by IEA experts would also be organised to develop skillsets required for challenges posed by energy transition.

Both PPAC and IEA intend to co-operate under the pact in the areas of energy market data and statistics, biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) and compressed bio-gas (CBG) and other emerging fuels.