135

News

Denmark nets maritime agreement with India

Christian Wenande
January 21st, 2019


This article is more than 5 years old.

India is Denmark’s fourth-largest shipping export market

Rasmussen and Modi sealing the deal (photo: Danish Shipping)

PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen is in India this week as part of a Danish business delegation looking to capitalise on thawing relations between Denmark and India.

And already an agreement has been reached regarding a new maritime deal that aims to boost co-operation between the two countries.

“India is a fast-emerging economy that plays a key role in the global maritime sector. And that makes India an important partner for Denmark and the entire Danish maritime industry,” said the business minister, Rasmus Jarlov.

READ MORE: PM to head Danish business delegation to India

Billions at stake
Among other things, the agreement will focus on increased dialogue and further co-operation regarding state dock control, digitalisation, green technology and maritime competencies with a view to promoting quality shipping.

To seal the agreement, Rasmussen met with Indian PM Narendra Modi at Vibrant Gujarat, an Indian business and investment conference. With exports of over 8.5 billion kroner in 2017, India is Denmark’s fourth-largest shipping market.

“The agreement will no doubt strengthen the good relations between Denmark and India – politically as well as commercially. India is an important market for the Danish shipping companies, so we are naturally happy that Denmark officially strengthens bonds with India in the maritime sector,” said Anne H Steffensen, the head of the Danish Shipping advocacy group.

Ship grounded
In related news, Danish Defence revealed on Twitter over the weekend that a 90-metre freighter was grounded just north of the Øresund Tunnel.

The ship, named the Alexander Tvardoskiy, is reportedly based out of the Cook Islands and was heading towards the UK with a load of wood when its captain lost control of the ship due to a technical blackout.

Defence helicopters dispatched to the area could confirm that the incident had not led to an oil slip and the ship eventually freed itself from the grounding thanks to rising water levels. The ship’s hull will be inspected by Defence divers before being permitted to continue on its journey.


Share

Most popular

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive The Daily Post

















Latest Podcast

A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”