India and the United States have agreed to a five-year extension of their cooperation for offering capacity building assistance to partner countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, in multiple sectors.

The second amendment to the Statement of Guiding Principles (SGP) on Triangular Cooperation for Global Development, extending the agreement’s validity till 2026, was signed by officials representing the Ministry of External Affairs and United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) on Friday according to an official release of the MEA.

The SGP Agreement, signed on November 2014, provides a framework for promoting cooperation between the two countries to meet the developmental aspirations of partner countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, the release stated.

The second amendment 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 bi-annual monitoring and review of activities undertaken under the SGP, the release stated.

India and the US 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 demand-driven development partnership,” the statement pointed out.

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