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Sushma meets PM of Bhutan, Bangladesh
By Arul Louis
United Nations, Sep 19 (IANS) India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan and five Foreign Ministers in interactions that mostly focused on bilateral issues, according to a ministry spokesperson.
Raveesh Kumar described the meeting with Hasina on Monday as a courtesy call with no substantive discussions.
During the meeting with Tobgay, they discussed development projects that India was sponsoring in the Himalayan kingdom.
In reply to a question, Kumar said that the recent Doklam crisis in which Indian and Chinese troops faced off in Bhutan’s territory did not figure in the talks or matters relating to defence.
Sushma Swaraj began the day with a trilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono, where she raised the issue of countries with “linkages” to North Korea’s nuclear programme, a clear reference to Pakistan which had been involved in a nuclear-for-missile technology swap, but she did not name it.
Asked if it was a reference to Pakistan, Kumar noted that no names were mentioned and said her statement was emphatic and clear that “proliferation linkages must be explored and those involved be held accountable” and it was for reporters to interpret it.
During what Kumar described as “very hectic and active day,” Sushma Swaraj attended US President Donald Trump’s summit on reforming the UN.
Trump backed plans by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to reform the global organisation, but confined his comments to mostly the secretariat and bureaucracy, peacekeeping and the budget.
While India has consistently maintained that the UN needed to be reformed, it wanted a comprehensive reform that also dealt with bodies like the Security Council, Kumar said.
The meetings with Foreign Ministers Khemaies Jhinaoui of Tunisia, Anders Samuelsen of Denmark, Edgars Rinkevics of Latvia, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE and Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa of Bahrain all had an economic dimension.
Sushma Swaraj and Jhinaoui discussed their bilateral meeting scheduled for October and cooperation in pharmaceutical and information technology (IT) fields, Kumar said. There was a huge potential for India to export vaccines because of their comparative low costs, he added.
Participation in World Food India, an international event on partnerships in India’s food economy, to be held in November was discussed in the meeting with Samuelsen, he said.
Denmark is hosting the World Food Summit this year and it also figured in their talks.
They also talked about the Make in India initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opportunities for investments in India, he said.
Rinkevics and Sushma Swaraj discussed the forthcoming visit of Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis to India, Kumar said. They also spoke about cooperation in health and IT fields.
The UAE is a strategic partner of India as well as a significant trading partner with annual bilateral trade worth $62.8 billion.
Sushma Swaraj and the Foreign Minister discussed investments by the UAE in India, especially in civil aviation and in the energy sector, he said.
The UAE investments in India were below the potential and there was scope for increasing them substantially, he said.
With the Bahrain Foreign Minister, regional issues were discussed in addition to bilateral issues, according to Kumar.
(Arul Louis can be reached at [email protected])
–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.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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