France today welcomed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) achieving the status of a global organisation, saying the progress was in line with the efforts to combat climate change.
The ISA was launched by India and France at the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015.
Its goal is to facilitate large-scale deployment of solar energy in 121 countries in the area between the tropics by aggregating the demand for funding, technology and innovation.
"I welcome the achievement by the International Solar Alliance of status as an international organisation. The framework agreement defining its statutes has been signed by 46 countries and ratified by 19 of them," Jean-Yves Le Drian, France's minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.
It was released to media here by the French Embassy.
"This progress is in line with the efforts to combat climate change, which will be central to the One Planet Summit on December 12 in Paris.
"It is one of the most promising coalitions for combating climate change. It is also the first international organisation on the Indian subcontinent," the statement said.
Australia has also joined the ISA, it said yesterday, adding that its entering of the alliance will support the government's commitment to clean energy cooperation and help meet the Paris Agreement emission targets.
The ISA will "deepen cooperation on solar research, reduce technology costs and harmonise international standards", Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop said in a statement which was released to the media by the Australian High Commission here.
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