Staff Reporter / NEW DELHI
The India-European Union Summit which was slated to be held later this month will now be rescheduled in view of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Briefing media in New Delhi today, External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Raveesh Kumar said India and EU have decided to reschedule Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brussels in view of the advice by health authorities.
He said, the decision has been taken in the spirit of the close cooperation between India and the EU who share the same concerns and commitment to global health and hope that the outbreak is contained soon. He also said, no case of any Indian being affected by Coronavirus in Iran has emerged.
The Spokesman said, Prime Minister Modi has accepted his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to attend Centenary Celebrations of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Mr Modi will be visiting Bangladesh to attend the celebrations.
On Global criticism over the violence in Delhi
On criticism by global bodies over the violence in the national capital, the Spokesman said, the situation in Delhi is fast returning to normal and law enforcement agencies are doing their best. Asked about comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Delhi violence, Mr Kumar said, these were driven by his political agenda. He said, India does not expect such statements from a Head of State and has made a strong demarche with the Turkish Ambassador in Delhi on Tuesday.
Replying to a question on the US-Afghan peace deal, Mr Kumar said, India will continue to extend all support to Afghanistan for its overall development.
On the detention of Chinese vessel “Da Cui Yan” when it berthed in Kandla Port in early February, the Spokesman said the vessel had mis-declared the item that it was carrying.
Examination revealed that the item is an ‘auto-clave’ that is controlled under Dual-Use Export Control lists. He said, the item has, therefore, been seized by Indian authorities as per the legal procedure. He said, India has conveyed its concerns on this issue to the Chinese side.