National
Sushma calls on Belgian King
New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday called on Belgium’s King Phillipe here and discussed bilateral relations.
“EAM @SushmaSwaraj call on His Majesty The King Philippe of Belgium. Engaging conversation on expanding warm and friendly bilateral relations,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
King Phillipe and Queen Mathilde arrived here on Sunday on a week-long state visit to India.
This is the royal couple’s first visit to India since King Phillipe’s ascension to the throne in 2013.
Later on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with the Belgian King.
President Ram Nath Kovind will hold a meeting with the King and Queen while Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will also call on the royal couple.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are being accompanied by six ministers and a high-powered business delegation comprising CEOs of nearly 90 Belgian companies, and over a dozen chiefs of academic institutions.
India is Belgium’s second largest export destination and third largest trade partner outside the European Union (EU).
In 2016-17, bilateral trade amounted to $13.28 billion of which exports from India to Belgium accounted for $5.65 billion while imports from Belgium accounted for $6.62 billion.
Diamond trade overwhelmingly dominates Indo-Belgian commerce and trade in gems and jewellery constitutes over 75 per cent of the bilateral trade, with diamonds making up more than 80 per cent of Belgian exports and more than 40 per cent of Belgian imports from India.
Belgium’s cumulative investments in India are at over $1.01 billion for the period April 2000-June 2017.
The Indian diaspora in Belgium numbers around 18,000, according to Belgian government estimates. Of this nearly 10,000 are Indian citizens. Around 1,500 Indian IT professionals work for Belgian companies along with around 800 Indian students in various universities.
Modi visited Belgium in March 2016 at the invitation of his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel.
This is the third state visit to India by the Belgian royalty, the earlier ones happening in 1970 and 2008.
A Belgian King visits a country only once in the course of his reign.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.