NEW DELHI: India and the United States on Friday signed the Second Amendment to the statement of Guiding Principles (SGP) on Triangular Cooperation for global development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday.

An MEA release stated that the amendment was signed by Abhilasha Joshi, Joint Secretary, Development Partnership Administration-II Division, Ministry of External Affairs of India, and Karen Klimowsky, Acting Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in India.

The SGP Agreement, signed in November 2014, underscores the contribution of the India-US partnership to global stability and prosperity. It provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.

“The Second Amendment to the SGP Agreement, signed today, extends the validity of the SGP Agreement up-to 2026. It expands the scope of capacity-building activities undertaken jointly by India and the United States under this framework and also provides a consultative mechanism for joint biannual monitoring and review of activities undertaken under the SGP,” the MEA said.

Under the agreement, India and U.S. will continue to offer capacity-building assistance to partner countries in multiple sectors, focusing primarily on agriculture, regional connectivity, trade and investments, nutrition, health, clean and renewable energy, women empowerment, disaster preparedness, water, sanitation, education and institution building.

The agreement helps fulfil the joint commitment of both nations to work together and leverage their combined capacities to provide a demand-driven development partnership. This triangular cooperation with the US will complement India’s other ongoing and future development partnerships, capacity building and technical assistance with countries globally. (ANI)