Dubai: The FMBA Head of Oceans and Natural Resources, Commonwealth Secretariat Dr Nicholas Hardman-Mountford said on Friday that India's role in bringing the solution to climate change is very 'critical' and termed India a 'great oceanographic nation'.

"The ocean side, India's been a great oceanographic nation for a number of years ever since the end of the international Indian Ocean expedition, in the sixties, which founded the lab in Goa, and I've worked with many great Indian scientists over the years and what India is doing now in terms of, ocean discovery, developing a sustainable blue economy, all really critical bringing the ocean in as a solution to climate change," he said.

"So really encourage India to keep doing that. We really value the support we get from India working with a lot of, our smaller countries, particularly smaller and developing states. The work they're helping us do in Barbados and Bahamas, for example, And there's a real opportunity to now move this forward with India as a partner in the Commonwealth Blue charter, which is the commonwealth commitment by all commonwealth countries to work together for sustainable ocean," he said.

Moreover, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to UAE, Udaya Indrarathna termed India as a 'great neighbour' and said that the COP28 summit is a good time to be together.

He said, "UAE is hosting a very big and important COP28 event. It's going to be a super success. We are very delighted that India's PM as well as our President is in town. We have a great relationship with India, they are our great neighbour. It's a really good time to be together."

COP28 Summit is being held from November 28-December 12 under the Presidency of the UAE.

PM Modi participated in the World Climate Action Summit, the high-level segment of the COP28 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Friday.

This is PM Modi's third appearance at the World Climate Action Summit after his visits to Paris in 2015 and Glasgow in 2021.During his UAE visit, PM Modi noted that climate change has had an immense impact on the countries in the Global South.

PM said that to fulfil the aspirations of the Global South, climate finance and technology are essential.

He also underlined that countries in the Global South, including India, have a smaller role to play in climate change but the impact of climate change on them is immense.