National
Sushma Swaraj to visit Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore
New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) As India marks 25 years of its partnership with Asean and in keeping with its Act East Policy, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore from January 4-8, it was announced on Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, Sushma Swaraj will visit Thailand on January 4-5 during the course of which she will hold a meeting with Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai.
“All aspects of bilateral relations with Thailand will be discussed with particular focus on political, defence and economic ties and on further enhancing India’s engagement with Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries,” the statement said, adding that Thailand would assume the role of coordinator country for India-Asean relations in the middle of this year.
During her Indonesia visit from January 5-6, Sushma Swaraj will co-chair the fifth meeting of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.
The Ministers will also inaugurate the second meeting of the Asean-India Network of Think Tanks. She will also call on Indonesian President Joko Widodo and have other official engagements, including an interaction with representatives of the Indian community.
The Indian Minister also meet the new Secretary General of Asean Lim Jock Hoi, the statement said, adding: “As the biggest country in the Asean region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India including in trade and strategic matters. In recent times, there has been intensive engagement between the two countries bilaterally, as well as plurilaterally.”
It said the Joint Commission meeting and other engagements of Sushma Swaraj would enable the two countries to chart out the course of partnership during the year 2018.
She will visit Singapore from January 6-8 during which she will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) of Asean countries on January 7. The theme of this year’s event is “Ancient Route, New Journey: Diaspora in the Dynamic Asean-India Partnership”.
Sushma Swaraj will have bilateral meetings with the leaders in Singapore and also interact with PIO delegations from Asean countries, who will be participating in the PBD.
According to the statement, the Regional PBD is a large scale event covering a wide range of sectors including political relations, economic ties and investment, tourism and culture, connectivity, start-ups and science and technology.
“PIO delegations from all Asean countries, including ministers, eminent personalities, business and socio-political leaders are participating in the event,” the statement said.
On all three legs of her visit, Sushma Swaraj will share with her interlocutors relevant information about the forthcoming Asean-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on January 25 which marks 25 years of the establishment of Dialogue Partnership between India and the 10-nation regional bloc.
A series of events has been organized by the External Affairs Ministry over the last year to celebrate this jubilee in different Indian cities and also Asean countries, which will culminate with the Summit in New Delhi. India has also invited the leaders of the Asean countries for the Republic Day parade this year.
–IANS
ab/rn
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.