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Modi, Xi to meet in China this coming week (Third Lead)
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, April 22 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold an informal summit meeting in China’s central city of Wuhan, a meet which may well be a historic one and a defining moment in the history of Sino-Indian ties.
The announcement by the Indian and Chinese Foreign Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Wang Yi respectively indicates a revival in ties between India and China, which faced a rough patch after the Doklam stand-off last year.
Modi’s April 27-28 visit can be compared to the 1988 visit by then Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi who met then China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and reset the bilateral ties after the 1962 war.
“As agreed between the two sides, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have an informal summit meeting from April 27 to 28 in Wuhan, Hubei province,” Wang said.
“We see socialism with Chinese characteristics is entering a new era and India is at a crucial stage of the development and revitalisation. It is against this backdrop that President Xi and Prime Minister Modi have decided to hold an informal summit,” Wang announced with Sushma Swaraj standing by his side.
Wang said that both sides were working on the meeting for long and would make sure that the informal summit was a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations.
Modi will also visit China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in June.
So far, no Indian Prime Minister has visited China twice within nearly a month.
“In short, we will use the important meeting as an opportunity to achieve even better and faster growth in our bilateral relations from a new starting point.”
The two leaders will have communications of a “strategic nature concerning shift going (on) in the world. They will also exchange views on long-term and strategic matters, concerning the future of China-India relations”.
“In our view, the global situation is undergoing a profound change and China and India are growing rapidly and simultaneously. This makes for a more balanced international geometry and a stronger trend towards peace.”
Sushma Swaraj said that Modi and Xi would have communications of a strategic nature.
“They will exchange views on long-term and strategic matters, concerning the future of China-India relations.
“We agreed that as the two major countries and large emerging economies, healthy development of India-China relations is important for the emergence of the Asian century,” she added.
Besides the longstanding border dispute, a range of issues plagues India-China ties.
China’s opposition to India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and its application at the United Nations to declare Pakistan-based terror group chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist are some other irritants in the ties.
The key artery of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road project — China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — is another sticking point in China-India ties as its route passes through the disputed Kashmir held by Islamabad and claimed by New Delhi.
(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted 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.