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India, Malta discuss ways to strengthen ties (Lead)
New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) India and Malta on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen ties across various sectors during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Maltese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela here.
According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, the two leaders held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.
“The discussions between the two Ministers focused on building closer cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, trade fairs, financial services, information technology and tourism,” it stated.
India and Malta share a rich common heritage in the context of Commonwealth and relations between the two countries have strengthened considerably in recent years with India reopening its resident mission in Malta last year. The nation in the central Mediterranean Sea is also home to a 400-strong Indian community.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that both India and Malta shared the common heritage of the Commonwealth.
Efforts are on to revive the relevance of this grouping of former British colonies and this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Britain next month.
“India was one of the first countries to recognise independence of Malta in 1964 and the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1965,” Kumar said.
India’s economic ties with Malta have grown stronger with annual bilateral trade reaching around $350 million last financial year.
“A new beginning has been made in recent years on the culture front, with an Indian film being shot in Malta and courses on Sanskrit grammar being held at University of Malta,” the External Affairs Ministry statement said.
During the course of his visit, the Maltese Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Minister participated in the fourth edition of the India-Europe 29 Business Forum (IE29BF) here on Monday.
The Forum was created for the first time in 2014 by the External Affairs Ministry and industry body Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce (FICCI) to provide an institutionalised platform for promoting business exchanges between India and the 29 countries of the Central Europe region.
The theme of IE29BF 2018 was “Synergising Economic Vision for Expanded Relations”.
The focus sectors for the Forum were “Industry 4.0: Defining India-Europe 29 Cooperation through Developing Innovation Eco-system in Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Skilling & Transforming Human Capital in India”, “Promoting E-Governance through ICT and Inviting Europe 29 Expertise for Digitalisation of Healthcare Sector in India” and “Collaborating to Develop 100 Smart Cities in India: Innovative urban Transport Solutions and Clean Technologies to Define India-Europe 29 Future Partnership”.
This year, the Czech Republic was the focus country of the Forum. Eighteen other European countries participated in the event. It was attended by 180 business delegates and officials from European countries and 200 business delegates from India.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.