India has highlighted the violence committed by the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan at the United Nations even has it has reiterated its call for a ceasefire. The comments come even as the past few weeks have witnessed a spate of attacks in the country including rocket attacks.

Speaking at United Nations General Assembly, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu said, It is important to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan caused by the violence committed by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Peace process and violence cannot go hand in hand, and we call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. "

This year saw a number of developments in Afghanistan, including a pact between the Taliban and the US and the start of intra Afghan talks between the Taliban and the Afghan govt. The development comes even as the US is eager to remove its troops from the country, which is seen as an opportunity by Islamabad to increase its influence in Kabul.

In the speech, pointing at Pakistan, Nagaraj Naidu listed out the "artificial and political obstacles of non-permit of full transit rights to Afghanistan" hindering its trade with India.

He said," It is important for Afghanistan to have access to high seas for a prosperous future. The international community should work towards removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan and ensure all transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements without any hindrance"

India in the aftermath of the fall of the Taliban in 2001 has committed over $ 3 billion towards development, reconstruction and capacity building of the country. Both countries recently concluded an agreement for building the Shatoot dam which will provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents capital Kabul city. New Delhi will also launch Phase-IV of High Impact Community Development Projects in Afghanistan, which includes around 150 projects worth US$ 80 million.

India has highlighted the violence committed by the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan at the United Nations even has it has reiterated its call for a ceasefire.

India has highlighted the violence committed by the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan at the United Nations even has it has reiterated its call for a ceasefire. The comments come even as the past few weeks have witnessed a spate of attacks in the country including rocket attacks. Speaking at United Nations General Assembly, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu said, It is important to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan caused by the violence committed by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Peace process and violence cannot go hand in hand, and we call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. " This year saw a number of developments in Afghanistan, including a pact between the Taliban and the US and the start of intra Afghan talks between the Taliban and the Afghan govt. The development comes even as the US is eager to remove its troops from the country, which is seen as an opportunity by Islamabad to increase its influence in Kabul. In the speech, pointing at Pakistan, Nagaraj Naidu listed out the "artificial and political obstacles of non-permit of full transit rights to Afghanistan" hindering its trade with India. He said," It is important for Afghanistan to have access to high seas for a prosperous future. The international community should work towards removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan and ensure all transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements without any hindrance" India in the aftermath of the fall of the Taliban in 2001 has committed over $ 3 billion towards development, reconstruction and capacity building of the country. Both countries recently concluded an agreement for building the Shatoot dam which will provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents capital Kabul city. New Delhi will also launch Phase-IV of High Impact Community Development Projects in Afghanistan, which includes around 150 projects worth US$ 80 million.

India highlights violence committed by Taliban in Afghanistan at UN; reiterates calls for a ceasefire

In a big boost to India's regional connectivity plans, Uzbekistan has given an in-principle nod to join the&nbsp;International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The approval was given by Uzbek President&nbsp;Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the virtual summit on Friday.

MEA JS ERS Dr. Adarsh Swaika said, "We had requested earlier when President&nbsp;Mirziyoyev&nbsp;had visited India in 2018, PM had made a request to join the&nbsp;INSTC.&nbsp;President gave his in-principle concurrence to joining the&nbsp;INSTC.&nbsp;It is a very good development that Uzbekistan in principle ready to join&nbsp;INSTC"

International North-South Transport Corridor connects Mumbai to Moscow and passes through Iran and Azerbaijan.&nbsp;Efforts of all the stakeholders have been to increase its popularity and earlier this year an agreement was signed between Container Corporation of India and Russian railways to facilitate the movement of cargo.

Efforts of all the stakeholders have been to increase its popularity and earlier this year an agreement was signed between Container Corporation of India and Russian railways to facilitate the movement of cargo.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has proposed a trilateral dialogue among India, Iran, and Uzbekistan to promote connectivity through the Chabahar port.&nbsp;India is also working on the viability of an air corridor to Central Asia but suitable points are yet to be identified. It already has an air corridor with Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Uzbekistan&nbsp;is one of the 2 countries in the world that is a doubly landlocked country and is keen on many connectivity projects including, a railway connection with Afghanistan.&nbsp;

During the virtual summit, the first with any central Asian country, India approved 448 million lines of credit for four&nbsp;projects developmental projects in Uzbekistan--two&nbsp;in road construction and one each in sewerage treatment and information technology.

In a big boost to India's regional connectivity plans, Uzbekistan has given an in-principle nod to join the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

In a big boost to India's regional connectivity plans, Uzbekistan has given an in-principle nod to join the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The approval was given by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the virtual summit on Friday. MEA JS ERS Dr. Adarsh Swaika said, "We had requested earlier when President Mirziyoyev had visited India in 2018, PM had made a request to join the INSTC. President gave his in-principle concurrence to joining the INSTC. It is a very good development that Uzbekistan in principle ready to join INSTC" International North-South Transport Corridor connects Mumbai to Moscow and passes through Iran and Azerbaijan. Efforts of all the stakeholders have been to increase its popularity and earlier this year an agreement was signed between Container Corporation of India and Russian railways to facilitate the movement of cargo. Efforts of all the stakeholders have been to increase its popularity and earlier this year an agreement was signed between Container Corporation of India and Russian railways to facilitate the movement of cargo. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has proposed a trilateral dialogue among India, Iran, and Uzbekistan to promote connectivity through the Chabahar port. India is also working on the viability of an air corridor to Central Asia but suitable points are yet to be identified. It already has an air corridor with Afghanistan. Uzbekistan is one of the 2 countries in the world that is a doubly landlocked country and is keen on many connectivity projects including, a railway connection with Afghanistan. During the virtual summit, the first with any central Asian country, India approved 448 million lines of credit for four projects developmental projects in Uzbekistan--two in road construction and one each in sewerage treatment and information technology.

Boost to connectivity as Uzbekistan agrees to join north-south transport corridor, proposes trilateral talks on Chabahar

India has said that its relations with Russia "stand on their own merits", after Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov remarked that the west is attempting to "undermine our close partnership and privileged relations" with New Delhi.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Shrivastava said, "India has always pursued an independent foreign policy based on its national interest. India’s relationship with each country is independent of its relations with third countries." Adding, "We hope that this is well understood and appreciated by all our partners."

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/vladimir-putin-signs-law-allowing-russian-legislation-to-trump-international-treaties-348614/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

New Delhi and Moscow have Special &amp; Privileged Strategic Partnership and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the strategic partnership between both the countries.&nbsp;

During his remarks at the general meeting of the Russian International Affairs Council, FM Lavrov also mentioned Indo Pacific and quad terming it anti-China.&nbsp;

Recalling the Indian Prime Minister's speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June of 2018, MEA spokesperson pointed out that "India does not see the Indo-Pacific region as a strategy or as a club of limited members or as a grouping that seeks to dominate. It is not directed against any country. It stands for a free, open, and inclusive region."

This is not the first time the Russian foreign minister has commented on the Indo-Pacific concept. Earlier in this year, speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi he called the concept "divisive" and "India smart to not to get into it".

India has said that its relations with Russia "stand on their own merits", after Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov remarked that the west is attempting to "undermine our close partnership and privileged relations" with New Delhi.

India has said that its relations with Russia "stand on their own merits", after Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov remarked that the west is attempting to "undermine our close partnership and privileged relations" with New Delhi. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Shrivastava said, "India has always pursued an independent foreign policy based on its national interest. India’s relationship with each country is independent of its relations with third countries." Adding, "We hope that this is well understood and appreciated by all our partners." Watch | New Delhi and Moscow have Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the strategic partnership between both the countries. During his remarks at the general meeting of the Russian International Affairs Council, FM Lavrov also mentioned Indo Pacific and quad terming it anti-China. Recalling the Indian Prime Minister's speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June of 2018, MEA spokesperson pointed out that "India does not see the Indo-Pacific region as a strategy or as a club of limited members or as a grouping that seeks to dominate. It is not directed against any country. It stands for a free, open, and inclusive region." This is not the first time the Russian foreign minister has commented on the Indo-Pacific concept. Earlier in this year, speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi he called the concept "divisive" and "India smart to not to get into it".

Relations with Moscow stands on its 'own merit', says India after Russian foreign minister's remarks

Even has China has claimed that it has "strictly complied" with border agreements with India, New Delhi said it expects the "Chinese side will match its words with actions" even as the People's Liberation Army(PLA) continues the build-up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.&nbsp;

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-clear-message-to-china-cant-be-business-as-usual-with-beijing-348676/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Pointing out how the "situation that we have seen since the last six months has been a result of the actions of the Chinese side", ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Shrivastava said China has "sought to effect a unilateral change in status along the LAC in eastern Ladakh" and "these actions are in violation of the bilateral agreements and protocol on ensuring peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/russia-gives-new-twist-to-india-china-standoff-at-lac-348671">India-China</a> border areas."

This year not only saw one of the longest build-ups by the Chinese at the LAC but also a violent clash at Galwan Valley which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action.

India has repeatedly pointed out how China has been violating the 1993 and 1996 agreements. The violation includes the amassing of troops and attempts to take "unilateral action" to alter the situation at LAC.

Both sides have had multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks, including two in-person meetings between defense and foreign ministers of the two countries but China has not done anything to defuse the situation on the ground.&nbsp;

New Delhi has been calling for an agreement on a "mutually acceptable solution" for ensuring "complete disengagement" in all friction points along the LAC but Beijing continues to drag its feet.

Even has China has claimed that it has "strictly complied" with border agreements with India, New Delhi said it expects the "Chinese side will match its words with actions" even as the People's Liberation Army(PLA) continues the build-up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Even has China has claimed that it has "strictly complied" with border agreements with India, New Delhi said it expects the "Chinese side will match its words with actions" even as the People's Liberation Army(PLA) continues the build-up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Watch: Pointing out how the "situation that we have seen since the last six months has been a result of the actions of the Chinese side", ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Shrivastava said China has "sought to effect a unilateral change in status along the LAC in eastern Ladakh" and "these actions are in violation of the bilateral agreements and protocol on ensuring peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the India-China border areas." This year not only saw one of the longest build-ups by the Chinese at the LAC but also a violent clash at Galwan Valley which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action. India has repeatedly pointed out how China has been violating the 1993 and 1996 agreements. The violation includes the amassing of troops and attempts to take "unilateral action" to alter the situation at LAC. Both sides have had multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks, including two in-person meetings between defense and foreign ministers of the two countries but China has not done anything to defuse the situation on the ground. New Delhi has been calling for an agreement on a "mutually acceptable solution" for ensuring "complete disengagement" in all friction points along the LAC but Beijing continues to drag its feet.

India-China standoff: Expect China to match words with action: India on LAC situation

India's cultural diplomacy continues even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) organizing in-person concerts in Spain to celebrate the hundredth birth anniversary of legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar. It was the first-ever event under organized amidst the pandemic as part of India's cultural reach out.

The concerts which were organized in several cities of the European country got a huge response. In Madrid, 1200 people came to the concert in a hall that can hold 2500 people. Due to COVID-19&nbsp;protocols, a limited number of people were allowed but tickets saw massive demand.

Speaking to WION, ICCR Director-General, Dinesh K Patnaik said," In these difficult times ICCR and govt of India has not stopped its cultural diplomacy activity and continues to project country's soft power abroad"

Most of the people who were involved in the concert were disciples of Ravi Shankar. An exhibition has also been organized as part of the celebration, which has a number of his memorabilia like posters of his concerts, sitars he played and even the clothes he wore.

Expressing his "delight at the public response in Spain" on the activities, Patnaik said, "would like to thank the government of Spain, especially the federal government of Castile and León for the generous and amazing support they gave to the events".

Sitarist Ravi Shankar has been single-handedly responsible for bringing Indian classical music to the west and turned the world on to Indian music.

He is well known for many things, including the famous "Concert for Bangladesh" he organized alongside former Beatles Guitarist George Harrison.&nbsp;

The concert, organized in August, 1971 in New York's Madison Square Garden was to highlight the plight of refugees from the then east Pakistan. The concert, not only raised awareness about Bangladesh and atrocities committed by Pakistan but also became a model for future concerts for Charity Benefits.&nbsp;

The exhibition organized in fact has the token of appreciation given to George Harrison to commemorate the sales of more than one million dollars worth for the "long-playing record album Bangladesh". 2021 will mark the 50th anniversary year of the concert which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Independence year.

India's cultural diplomacy continues even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) organizing in-person concerts in Spain to celebrate the hundredth birth anniversary of legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar.

India's cultural diplomacy continues even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) organizing in-person concerts in Spain to celebrate the hundredth birth anniversary of legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar. It was the first-ever event under organized amidst the pandemic as part of India's cultural reach out. The concerts which were organized in several cities of the European country got a huge response. In Madrid, 1200 people came to the concert in a hall that can hold 2500 people. Due to COVID-19 protocols, a limited number of people were allowed but tickets saw massive demand. Speaking to WION, ICCR Director-General, Dinesh K Patnaik said," In these difficult times ICCR and govt of India has not stopped its cultural diplomacy activity and continues to project country's soft power abroad" Most of the people who were involved in the concert were disciples of Ravi Shankar. An exhibition has also been organized as part of the celebration, which has a number of his memorabilia like posters of his concerts, sitars he played and even the clothes he wore. Expressing his "delight at the public response in Spain" on the activities, Patnaik said, "would like to thank the government of Spain, especially the federal government of Castile and León for the generous and amazing support they gave to the events". Sitarist Ravi Shankar has been single-handedly responsible for bringing Indian classical music to the west and turned the world on to Indian music. He is well known for many things, including the famous "Concert for Bangladesh" he organized alongside former Beatles Guitarist George Harrison. The concert, organized in August, 1971 in New York's Madison Square Garden was to highlight the plight of refugees from the then east Pakistan. The concert, not only raised awareness about Bangladesh and atrocities committed by Pakistan but also became a model for future concerts for Charity Benefits. The exhibition organized in fact has the token of appreciation given to George Harrison to commemorate the sales of more than one million dollars worth for the "long-playing record album Bangladesh". 2021 will mark the 50th anniversary year of the concert which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Independence year.

Sitarist Ravi Shankar remembered in Spain as India's cultural diplomacy continues amid COVID-19

The Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of&nbsp;Luxembourg to India Mr. Jean Claude Kugener has said that both countries are coming closer&nbsp;in a number of sectors from space to education to IT and green and sustainable economies. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador&nbsp;Kugener said, "I am convinced that there are also many ways of cooperation between #DigitalLuxembourg and #DigitalIndia. The country has Europe’s highest concentration of top-rated Tier IV datacentres”.

Last month Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Luxembourg's PM Xavier Bettel held a virtual summit, the first standalone meet between the 2 countries in the last two&nbsp;decades. The country will soon join the India-led International Solar Alliance initiative.&nbsp;

WION: What are the key outcomes of the recent India - Luxembourg bilateral Summit?

Jean Claude Kugener:&nbsp;The recently held virtual Summit between the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, H.E. Mr. Xavier Bettel, and the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, was the first of its kind and offered an excellent occasion to discuss bilateral relations and further strengthen the dynamic cooperation between both countries. The tangible outcomes are three MoUs that have been signed-in the context of this summit. The two agreements of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) with the India International Exchange (India INX) and the State Bank of India (SBI) aim at increasing the cooperation in the financial services industry with a focus on green and sustainable Finance. The third MoU signed between the CEO’s of Luxinnovation GIE AND&nbsp;Invest India will support and develop mutual business cooperation between companies of the two countries. Other planned MoUs in Space, Higher Education, and among the Regulators are being processed and will be signed in the coming weeks.

Prime Minister Bettel also announced Luxembourg’s intention to join the International Solar Alliance underlining the government’s commitment to promoting the use of clean energy. Both Prime Ministers also welcomed the institutionalisation of regular bilateral consultations between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg. The Prime Ministers agreed that the bilateral relations have significantly evolved and diversified since the diplomatic relations establishment in&nbsp;1948&nbsp;and the opening of the Luxembourg Embassy in New Delhi in&nbsp;2002.&nbsp;The economic and trade cooperation between Luxembourg and India has been growing consistently. As per the Indian statistics, Luxembourg is the 15th Foreign Direct Investor in India compared to 16th in&nbsp;2018&nbsp;and 28th in&nbsp;2005.&nbsp;Both leaders have acknowledged the high potential to further deepen the cooperation in Trade, Finance, Steel, Space, ICT, Innovation, and Sustainable Development, among others.

WION: What are the other key areas of collaboration?

Jean Claude Kugener:&nbsp;In addition to the cooperation mentioned previously, our countries have a strong cooperation in steel, which is at the origin of the creation of the first Vice-Consulate of the Grand Duchy in Bombay in&nbsp;1929.&nbsp;In the 19th century, Luxembourg was the 6th largest cast iron and 8th largest steel producer in the world. Today the world leading steel and mining company ArcelorMittal, headquartered in the Grand Duchy since its merger in&nbsp;2006, currently develops its presence in India through AMNS, following its takeover of Essar Steel. The Paul Wurth Group, a leading player in the design and supply of technological solutions in the primary stage of integrated steelmaking, has been active in India for 27 years and has worked with many Indian steel producers over the last decades.

Allow me to highlight other Luxembourg companies which are also contributing to the “Make in India”: Ceratizit, which enlarged its presence in India through a new manufacturing facility in Karnataka last year apart from its existing operations in West Bengal, manufactures hard cutting materials for different industries or Rotarex in Mumbai producing high performance valves, regulators and fittings for all gas applications and currently expanding its presence in Navi Mumbai. The Luxembourg-Indian Joint Venture Amer-Sil Ketex in West Bengal is producing highly sophisticated gauntlets among others for the automotive industry for South Asia. They are the largest producer of Tubular bags in India. Our countries are also cooperating in Space and the Luxembourg company SES, the world leader in operational satellites, has partnered with ISRO for many years and is currently operating 5 satellites over India. The government decided to become a leading player in the space industry and the launch of the Luxembourg Space Agency in&nbsp;2018&nbsp;following the&nbsp;SpaceResources.lu&nbsp;initiative in&nbsp;2016, created an environment enabling companies to research and invest in space ventures with the aim of making them both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

Today, Luxembourg hosts over 60 companies, public and private, active in the space sector. One of them, the Luxembourg based Kleos Space S.A. recently launched 4 nanosatellites into orbit through the PSLV C49 mission of ISRO. A cooperation in space which will further grow in the decades to come. Also discussed during the summit was our cooperation in IT, digital and the emerging technologies. The IT companies present in Luxembourg have been expanding over the last years and decades and the statistics talk for themselves. We also see this impressive evolution in the increasing number of Schengen visas that our Consulate in Delhi is issuing for Indian citizens working in this area. It is not without any surprise that our consulate ranked number one of all the Luxembourg consulates in terms of issuance of Schengen visas in&nbsp;2019.&nbsp;In this context, allow me to mention that Luxembourg is often referred to as a start-up gateway to Europe. The activities of #DigitalLuxembourg, launched in&nbsp;2014, range from Indutech to eco-innovation technologies to Health tech and offers a wide range of initiatives to assist start-up businesses. I am convinced that there are many ways of cooperation between #DigitalLuxembourg and #DigitalIndia.

The priority sectors in Luxembourg of the strategy Industry 4.0 (clean technologies and smart mobility, health technologies, space, logistics and financial services) have information and communication technologies as well as the use of data as their common denominator. They benefit from the country’s state of the art infrastructure for the data storage and handling, which includes Europe’s highest concentration of top-rated Tier IV datacentres and exceptional connectivity secured by very fast, ultra-low-latency connections. Widely recognised as a centre of excellence in cybersecurity, Luxembourg is as well at the forefront in fields such as electronic identification and the development of secure data lakes. Another area of cooperation, to name but a few, is Education as the University of Luxembourg has a number of MoU’s Indian Institutes of Technologies and various Universities which are in the process to be reviewed and renewed. I am delighted that we will see a stronger cooperation in this area as well in the years to come.

WION: And your cooperation in the green and sustainable economies?

Jean Claude Kugener:&nbsp;Our cooperation in this area is increasing and I highlight as an example the Luxembourg-headquartered company Boson Energy, which provides thermal treatment solutions that produce local clean energy from locally available fuels such as waste and biomass residue and is actively cooperating with the Clean Ganga project. Another Luxembourgish firm, Solarcleano recently exported its first solar panel cleaning robots to Mumbai. In our financial relations, sustainable and green finance is an area of cooperation which is going to be very promising in the coming years.

Following the COP21, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) created the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX) in&nbsp;2016, the world’s first and leading platform dedicated exclusively to sustainable financial instruments and as of today, it lists more than half of the sustainable green bonds worldwide. India is increasingly oriented towards sustainable finance and Luxembourg is a front-runner in this field. I was extremely pleased to welcome the CEO and Deputy CEO of LuxSE in Delhi in January as both intervened and presented Luxembourg’s leading role in sustainable finance at the Raisina Dialogue. The 2 MoU’s signed by the Luxembourg Stock Exchange with the India International Exchange and the State Bank of India are an excellent step in the right direction as green is going to be the future.

WION: How is a Luxembourg company helping with the Covid vaccine refrigeration?

Jean Claude Kugener:&nbsp;This new cooperation is another excellent outcome of the summit which results from the Prime Minister’s discussions. The Luxembourg-based company B Medical Systems, a pioneer in the medical equipment industry, is a global leader in the vaccine cold chain since&nbsp;1979&nbsp;and specialises in R&amp;D and the manufacturing of high-quality refrigerators, freezers, storage, and solutions for safe blood, vaccine, and other temperature-critical cargo transport solutions.

I had the pleasure to welcome the Deputy CEO of the company in September at the Embassy to discuss the company’s cooperation with India. On this occasion, M. Jesal Doshi, a Mumbai native, donated a refrigerator for the storage of critical Covid19 vaccines to the BYL Nair Charitable Hospital in Mumbai. Currently, the CEO, Mr. Luc Provost, and the Deputy CEO are in India to discuss further strengthening and new avenues of cooperation. Taking into consideration the timely important and crucial feature of vaccine refrigeration, I am extremely happy with the proactive response received from the various authorities, the continued assistance by the designated Ambassador of India to Luxembourg and of our colleagues at the Ministry of External Affairs following the Prime Minister’s discussions during the summit.

The Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to India Mr. Jean Claude Kugener has said that both countries are coming closer in a number of sectors from space to education to IT and green and sustainable economies.

The Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to India Mr. Jean Claude Kugener has said that both countries are coming closer in a number of sectors from space to education to IT and green and sustainable economies. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Kugener said, "I am convinced that there are also many ways of cooperation between #DigitalLuxembourg and #DigitalIndia. The country has Europe’s highest concentration of top-rated Tier IV datacentres”. Last month Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Luxembourg's PM Xavier Bettel held a virtual summit, the first standalone meet between the 2 countries in the last two decades. The country will soon join the India-led International Solar Alliance initiative. WION: What are the key outcomes of the recent India - Luxembourg bilateral Summit? Jean Claude Kugener: The recently held virtual Summit between the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, H.E. Mr. Xavier Bettel, and the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, was the first of its kind and offered an excellent occasion to discuss bilateral relations and further strengthen the dynamic cooperation between both countries. The tangible outcomes are three MoUs that have been signed-in the context of this summit. The two agreements of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) with the India International Exchange (India INX) and the State Bank of India (SBI) aim at increasing the cooperation in the financial services industry with a focus on green and sustainable Finance. The third MoU signed between the CEO’s of Luxinnovation GIE AND Invest India will support and develop mutual business cooperation between companies of the two countries. Other planned MoUs in Space, Higher Education, and among the Regulators are being processed and will be signed in the coming weeks. Prime Minister Bettel also announced Luxembourg’s intention to join the International Solar Alliance underlining the government’s commitment to promoting the use of clean energy. Both Prime Ministers also welcomed the institutionalisation of regular bilateral consultations between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg. The Prime Ministers agreed that the bilateral relations have significantly evolved and diversified since the diplomatic relations establishment in 1948 and the opening of the Luxembourg Embassy in New Delhi in 2002. The economic and trade cooperation between Luxembourg and India has been growing consistently. As per the Indian statistics, Luxembourg is the 15th Foreign Direct Investor in India compared to 16th in 2018 and 28th in 2005. Both leaders have acknowledged the high potential to further deepen the cooperation in Trade, Finance, Steel, Space, ICT, Innovation, and Sustainable Development, among others. WION: What are the other key areas of collaboration? Jean Claude Kugener: In addition to the cooperation mentioned previously, our countries have a strong cooperation in steel, which is at the origin of the creation of the first Vice-Consulate of the Grand Duchy in Bombay in 1929. In the 19th century, Luxembourg was the 6th largest cast iron and 8th largest steel producer in the world. Today the world leading steel and mining company ArcelorMittal, headquartered in the Grand Duchy since its merger in 2006, currently develops its presence in India through AMNS, following its takeover of Essar Steel. The Paul Wurth Group, a leading player in the design and supply of technological solutions in the primary stage of integrated steelmaking, has been active in India for 27 years and has worked with many Indian steel producers over the last decades. Allow me to highlight other Luxembourg companies which are also contributing to the “Make in India”: Ceratizit, which enlarged its presence in India through a new manufacturing facility in Karnataka last year apart from its existing operations in West Bengal, manufactures hard cutting materials for different industries or Rotarex in Mumbai producing high performance valves, regulators and fittings for all gas applications and currently expanding its presence in Navi Mumbai. The Luxembourg-Indian Joint Venture Amer-Sil Ketex in West Bengal is producing highly sophisticated gauntlets among others for the automotive industry for South Asia. They are the largest producer of Tubular bags in India. Our countries are also cooperating in Space and the Luxembourg company SES, the world leader in operational satellites, has partnered with ISRO for many years and is currently operating 5 satellites over India. The government decided to become a leading player in the space industry and the launch of the Luxembourg Space Agency in 2018 following the SpaceResources.lu initiative in 2016, created an environment enabling companies to research and invest in space ventures with the aim of making them both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Today, Luxembourg hosts over 60 companies, public and private, active in the space sector. One of them, the Luxembourg based Kleos Space S.A. recently launched 4 nanosatellites into orbit through the PSLV C49 mission of ISRO. A cooperation in space which will further grow in the decades to come. Also discussed during the summit was our cooperation in IT, digital and the emerging technologies. The IT companies present in Luxembourg have been expanding over the last years and decades and the statistics talk for themselves. We also see this impressive evolution in the increasing number of Schengen visas that our Consulate in Delhi is issuing for Indian citizens working in this area. It is not without any surprise that our consulate ranked number one of all the Luxembourg consulates in terms of issuance of Schengen visas in 2019. In this context, allow me to mention that Luxembourg is often referred to as a start-up gateway to Europe. The activities of #DigitalLuxembourg, launched in 2014, range from Indutech to eco-innovation technologies to Health tech and offers a wide range of initiatives to assist start-up businesses. I am convinced that there are many ways of cooperation between #DigitalLuxembourg and #DigitalIndia. The priority sectors in Luxembourg of the strategy Industry 4.0 (clean technologies and smart mobility, health technologies, space, logistics and financial services) have information and communication technologies as well as the use of data as their common denominator. They benefit from the country’s state of the art infrastructure for the data storage and handling, which includes Europe’s highest concentration of top-rated Tier IV datacentres and exceptional connectivity secured by very fast, ultra-low-latency connections. Widely recognised as a centre of excellence in cybersecurity, Luxembourg is as well at the forefront in fields such as electronic identification and the development of secure data lakes. Another area of cooperation, to name but a few, is Education as the University of Luxembourg has a number of MoU’s Indian Institutes of Technologies and various Universities which are in the process to be reviewed and renewed. I am delighted that we will see a stronger cooperation in this area as well in the years to come. WION: And your cooperation in the green and sustainable economies? Jean Claude Kugener: Our cooperation in this area is increasing and I highlight as an example the Luxembourg-headquartered company Boson Energy, which provides thermal treatment solutions that produce local clean energy from locally available fuels such as waste and biomass residue and is actively cooperating with the Clean Ganga project. Another Luxembourgish firm, Solarcleano recently exported its first solar panel cleaning robots to Mumbai. In our financial relations, sustainable and green finance is an area of cooperation which is going to be very promising in the coming years. Following the COP21, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) created the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX) in 2016, the world’s first and leading platform dedicated exclusively to sustainable financial instruments and as of today, it lists more than half of the sustainable green bonds worldwide. India is increasingly oriented towards sustainable finance and Luxembourg is a front-runner in this field. I was extremely pleased to welcome the CEO and Deputy CEO of LuxSE in Delhi in January as both intervened and presented Luxembourg’s leading role in sustainable finance at the Raisina Dialogue. The 2 MoU’s signed by the Luxembourg Stock Exchange with the India International Exchange and the State Bank of India are an excellent step in the right direction as green is going to be the future. WION: How is a Luxembourg company helping with the Covid vaccine refrigeration? Jean Claude Kugener: This new cooperation is another excellent outcome of the summit which results from the Prime Minister’s discussions. The Luxembourg-based company B Medical Systems, a pioneer in the medical equipment industry, is a global leader in the vaccine cold chain since 1979 and specialises in R&D and the manufacturing of high-quality refrigerators, freezers, storage, and solutions for safe blood, vaccine, and other temperature-critical cargo transport solutions. I had the pleasure to welcome the Deputy CEO of the company in September at the Embassy to discuss the company’s cooperation with India. On this occasion, M. Jesal Doshi, a Mumbai native, donated a refrigerator for the storage of critical Covid19 vaccines to the BYL Nair Charitable Hospital in Mumbai. Currently, the CEO, Mr. Luc Provost, and the Deputy CEO are in India to discuss further strengthening and new avenues of cooperation. Taking into consideration the timely important and crucial feature of vaccine refrigeration, I am extremely happy with the proactive response received from the various authorities, the continued assistance by the designated Ambassador of India to Luxembourg and of our colleagues at the Ministry of External Affairs following the Prime Minister’s discussions during the summit.

Exclusive: From space to education, India-Luxembourg coming closer, says country's envoy Jean Claude Kugener

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Afghanistan and counter-terror at the India Uzbekistan virtual summit, the first such summit with any central Asian country. On the issue of "terrorism, extremism, and radicalism", PM Modi said, "We have some concerns" and similar views on "regional security situation".&nbsp;

Mentioning the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, he said, "it should be afghan led afghan owned afghan controlled and gains of last 2 decades should be preserved"

Both India and Uzbekistan have been involved in the Afghan Peace process, with a focus on connectivity with the country. India via the Chabahar port in Iran and the India Afghanistan air corridor and Uzbekistan via a planned rail project connecting the 2 countries.&nbsp;

PM said, as civilizations, "we have connections to each other" and a lot of "similarities in our approaches" leading to strong ties.

India and Uzbekistan have been engaging under various formats including India Central Asia Dialogue at the foreign minister's level. Under the line of credit announced by India during the virtual FMs meet earlier this year, a number of projects are being mulled in the country. PM said, “India will provide expertise in according to country's development needs" like in infrastructure, IT, training, capacity building, education, health.

India's western Gujarat state and Uzbekistan's Andijan already have cooperation and now the focus is on cooperation between the Haryana and Fergana.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the summit said, "You are a reliable and close friend...and the summit has confirmed the highest level of India and Uzbekistan strategic partnership" and thanked India for support amidst the covid pandemic.

Indian Prime Minister had visited the doubly landlocked central Asian country in 2015 and 2016, followed by visits of Uzbek President Mirziyoyev to India in 2018 and 2019.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Afghanistan and counter-terror at the India Uzbekistan virtual summit, the first such summit with any central Asian country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Afghanistan and counter-terror at the India Uzbekistan virtual summit, the first such summit with any central Asian country. On the issue of "terrorism, extremism, and radicalism", PM Modi said, "We have some concerns" and similar views on "regional security situation". Mentioning the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, he said, "it should be afghan led afghan owned afghan controlled and gains of last 2 decades should be preserved" Both India and Uzbekistan have been involved in the Afghan Peace process, with a focus on connectivity with the country. India via the Chabahar port in Iran and the India Afghanistan air corridor and Uzbekistan via a planned rail project connecting the 2 countries. PM said, as civilizations, "we have connections to each other" and a lot of "similarities in our approaches" leading to strong ties. India and Uzbekistan have been engaging under various formats including India Central Asia Dialogue at the foreign minister's level. Under the line of credit announced by India during the virtual FMs meet earlier this year, a number of projects are being mulled in the country. PM said, “India will provide expertise in according to country's development needs" like in infrastructure, IT, training, capacity building, education, health. India's western Gujarat state and Uzbekistan's Andijan already have cooperation and now the focus is on cooperation between the Haryana and Fergana. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the summit said, "You are a reliable and close friend...and the summit has confirmed the highest level of India and Uzbekistan strategic partnership" and thanked India for support amidst the covid pandemic. Indian Prime Minister had visited the doubly landlocked central Asian country in 2015 and 2016, followed by visits of Uzbek President Mirziyoyev to India in 2018 and 2019.

Afghanistan, counter-terror top focus by PM Modi at India-Uzbekistan virtual summit

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has given approval for "basic expense" for Lakshar-e-Taiba's leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Mahmood Sultan Bashiruddin, a Pakistani nuclear engineer. Both have been listed by the UN as international terrorists. Lakhvi had a role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, while Sultan, once at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission came under the scanner for his meetings with Al Qaeda's Osama Bin Laden. Sultan has been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third-highest civilian award of Pakistan. There may be more such developments coming.

Has it happened before?

Yes. Pakistan had gone to United Nations Security Council for Hafiz Saeed last year to get his basic expense with the body approving Islamabad's request. Saeed is responsible for 26/11 Mumbai attack and has a bounty of $10 million on him by the US. Pakistan has said that such "an exemption was in line with the established procedures and practices of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee".

What is a basic expense for UN Listed terrorists?

According to the security council resolution, asset freeze exemptions can be granted for what is called basic expenses. These include provisions such as payment for foodstuff, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges, or exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees and reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services, etc. 1267 sanctions include three impacts--Assets Freeze, Travel Ban and Arms Embargo.

What is the procedure?

The procedure is that someone puts in a request with the 1267 UNSC Committee, and then if all 15 members do not object within three days, approval is granted. In this case, the request came from the Imran Khan government. The provision that all 15 members should object, thus disapproval of the request requires unanimity. &nbsp;Even if one or two or even 14 members objected, it would still have come through because of this requirement.

Why did no one object to it?

UNSC committee members generally do not disapprove of basic expense requests unless they are blatantly disproportionate, because it goes into all the humanitarian and human rights angles.

Basic expense at 150,000 Pakistani rupees. Too much?

One could legitimately ask the question of whether Pak 1,50,000 rupees a month is just "basic" expense. 150,000 Pak Rupees a month is equivalent in cost of living terms to about USD 6,500 in New York per month or Rupees Indian Rs 70,000.

Benefit for Pakistan?

For someone like Pakistan, it is gaming the system, using the UN Loopholes. Technically and procedurally they are well within their rights. Understanding is, Pakistan is not paying Lashkar. They are using the loophole to allow Lashkar to draw its own funds from its bank accounts which are frozen.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has given approval for "basic expense" for Lakshar-e-Taiba's leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Mahmood Sultan Bashiruddin, a Pakistani nuclear engineer.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has given approval for "basic expense" for Lakshar-e-Taiba's leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Mahmood Sultan Bashiruddin, a Pakistani nuclear engineer. Both have been listed by the UN as international terrorists. Lakhvi had a role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, while Sultan, once at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission came under the scanner for his meetings with Al Qaeda's Osama Bin Laden. Sultan has been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third-highest civilian award of Pakistan. There may be more such developments coming. Has it happened before? Yes. Pakistan had gone to United Nations Security Council for Hafiz Saeed last year to get his basic expense with the body approving Islamabad's request. Saeed is responsible for 26/11 Mumbai attack and has a bounty of $10 million on him by the US. Pakistan has said that such "an exemption was in line with the established procedures and practices of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee". What is a basic expense for UN Listed terrorists? According to the security council resolution, asset freeze exemptions can be granted for what is called basic expenses. These include provisions such as payment for foodstuff, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges, or exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees and reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services, etc. 1267 sanctions include three impacts--Assets Freeze, Travel Ban and Arms Embargo. What is the procedure? The procedure is that someone puts in a request with the 1267 UNSC Committee, and then if all 15 members do not object within three days, approval is granted. In this case, the request came from the Imran Khan government. The provision that all 15 members should object, thus disapproval of the request requires unanimity. Even if one or two or even 14 members objected, it would still have come through because of this requirement. Why did no one object to it? UNSC committee members generally do not disapprove of basic expense requests unless they are blatantly disproportionate, because it goes into all the humanitarian and human rights angles. Basic expense at 150,000 Pakistani rupees. Too much? One could legitimately ask the question of whether Pak 1,50,000 rupees a month is just "basic" expense. 150,000 Pak Rupees a month is equivalent in cost of living terms to about USD 6,500 in New York per month or Rupees Indian Rs 70,000. Benefit for Pakistan? For someone like Pakistan, it is gaming the system, using the UN Loopholes. Technically and procedurally they are well within their rights. Understanding is, Pakistan is not paying Lashkar. They are using the loophole to allow Lashkar to draw its own funds from its bank accounts which are frozen.

Eyebrows raised as after Hafiz Saeed, Lakhvi gets 'basic expense' approval from UNSC over Pakistan's request

Indian and Chinese Defence minister on Thursday shared the platform at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Plus (ADMM) meeting during which the Indian side raised the issue of "threats to rules-based order" and "actions..(that) complicate the situation".

Addressing the meet virtually, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh said, "threats to the rules-based order, maritime security, cyber-related crimes and terrorism, just to name a few, remain the challenges that we need to address as a forum."

An ASEAN Platform, ADMM-Plus has eight Dialogue Partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Since 2017 the ADMM-Plus has been meeting annually.

Without directly referring to China, he said, "As we enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoiding actions that may further complicate the situation, will go a long way in bringing sustained peace to the region."

He pointed out, "Amid the current regional environment with visible strains, we appreciate the central role of ASEAN-led forums, including ADMM Plus in promoting dialogue and engagement towards a pluralistic, cooperative security order in Asia."

India, China ties deteriorated substantially this year, due to the build-up by the Chinese forces at the line of actual control in eastern Ladakh. In June, India lost 20 of its soldiers due to aggressive action by the Chinese forces in the Galwan valley. &nbsp;

Earlier in September both Indian defence minister and Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe had met to defuse the situation on the sidelines of the Shanghai cooperation organisation defence minister meet in Moscow. Since then, a number of meetings have taken place at the diplomatic and military level, but the Chinese build-up remains.

On the COVID crisis, he said that "virus does not respect national boundaries, the response to the pandemic also needs to be collective and collaborative."

The Indian defence minister also recalled the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific which he said: "underscores this impetus to cultivate strategic trust and continuously promote ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture."

Vietnam is the chair of the ASEAN grouping this year and this year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the ADMM Plus. The first meet of the ADMM Plus took place on 12th October 2010, with regular participation of India.

Indian and Chinese Defence minister on Thursday shared the platform at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Plus (ADMM) meeting during which the Indian side raised the issue of "threats to rules-based order" and "actions.

Indian and Chinese Defence minister on Thursday shared the platform at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Plus (ADMM) meeting during which the Indian side raised the issue of "threats to rules-based order" and "actions..(that) complicate the situation". Addressing the meet virtually, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh said, "threats to the rules-based order, maritime security, cyber-related crimes and terrorism, just to name a few, remain the challenges that we need to address as a forum." An ASEAN Platform, ADMM-Plus has eight Dialogue Partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Since 2017 the ADMM-Plus has been meeting annually. Without directly referring to China, he said, "As we enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoiding actions that may further complicate the situation, will go a long way in bringing sustained peace to the region." He pointed out, "Amid the current regional environment with visible strains, we appreciate the central role of ASEAN-led forums, including ADMM Plus in promoting dialogue and engagement towards a pluralistic, cooperative security order in Asia." India, China ties deteriorated substantially this year, due to the build-up by the Chinese forces at the line of actual control in eastern Ladakh. In June, India lost 20 of its soldiers due to aggressive action by the Chinese forces in the Galwan valley. Earlier in September both Indian defence minister and Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe had met to defuse the situation on the sidelines of the Shanghai cooperation organisation defence minister meet in Moscow. Since then, a number of meetings have taken place at the diplomatic and military level, but the Chinese build-up remains. On the COVID crisis, he said that "virus does not respect national boundaries, the response to the pandemic also needs to be collective and collaborative." The Indian defence minister also recalled the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific which he said: "underscores this impetus to cultivate strategic trust and continuously promote ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture." Vietnam is the chair of the ASEAN grouping this year and this year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the ADMM Plus. The first meet of the ADMM Plus took place on 12th October 2010, with regular participation of India.

In presence of China, Rajnath reminds of 'threats to rules-based order' at ASEAN Defence Ministers' meet

The United Kingdom government has clarified the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioning India-Pakistan while responding to a question on Farmers protest in India.

A UK Government spokesperson, in response to a WION question, said, “The Prime Minister clearly misheard the question in parliament today. The Foreign Office is following the issue of protests in India closely.”

On Wednesday the issue of the ongoing farmers' protests in India was raised in the British Parliament. In response to a question raised by Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't give any direct response.

Boris said, “Of course, Mr Speaker, and our views as the honourable gentleman knows well, of course, we have serious concerns about what is happening between India and Pakistan but these are pre-eminently matters for those two governments to settle and I know that he appreciates that point".

36 British MPs have written to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on the matter. Other than the UK, last week saw Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau expressed his concern on the farmer's protests in India leading to a sharp reaction from India. The ministry of external affairs called the comments "unwarranted", and summoned the Canadian envoy to India Nadir Patel, handing over a strong demarche.

The United Kingdom government has clarified the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioning India-Pakistan while responding to a question on Farmers protest in India.

The United Kingdom government has clarified the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioning India-Pakistan while responding to a question on Farmers protest in India. A UK Government spokesperson, in response to a WION question, said, “The Prime Minister clearly misheard the question in parliament today. The Foreign Office is following the issue of protests in India closely.” On Wednesday the issue of the ongoing farmers' protests in India was raised in the British Parliament. In response to a question raised by Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't give any direct response. Boris said, “Of course, Mr Speaker, and our views as the honourable gentleman knows well, of course, we have serious concerns about what is happening between India and Pakistan but these are pre-eminently matters for those two governments to settle and I know that he appreciates that point". 36 British MPs have written to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on the matter. Other than the UK, last week saw Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau expressed his concern on the farmer's protests in India leading to a sharp reaction from India. The ministry of external affairs called the comments "unwarranted", and summoned the Canadian envoy to India Nadir Patel, handing over a strong demarche.

Boris Johnson confuses farmers' protest with India-Pakistan dispute, UK spokesperson clarifies

The India-Nepal air travel corridor has been given a formal go-ahead and will see the first flight in the next 7 to 10 days.&nbsp;

India now has an air bubble (corridor) agreement with 23 countries globally. The corridor will have one flight daily each from Delhi to Kathmandu and from India's side, it will be Air India.&nbsp;

Air bubbles are an arrangement that has come amid the COVID-19 pandemic impacting global air transport. Within South Asia, India has an air bubble agreement with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, with Nepal being the latest entrant.

New Delhi had proposed the corridor to Nepal and with the visit of the Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla to Kathmandu its approval got further impetus.&nbsp;

Sources said, that FS during his visit in connection with the corridor highlighted the "importance of people-to-people connectivity for our special relations with Nepal."

Under the travel corridor, Indians, Nepalese, OCI/PIO cardholders of all nationalities, and all valid Indian visa holders will be allowed. This will not include tourist visas. The arrangement will follow medical protocols which has been placed for everyone using these corridors and include RT PCR test report of 72 hours prior to travel.

Global air travel came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic. Aimed at restarting commercial passenger services, the transport bubbles are reciprocal in nature and airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.

The India-Nepal air travel corridor has been given a formal go-ahead and will see the first flight in the next 7 to 10 days. India now has an air bubble (corridor) agreement with 23 countries globally.

The India-Nepal air travel corridor has been given a formal go-ahead and will see the first flight in the next 7 to 10 days. India now has an air bubble (corridor) agreement with 23 countries globally. The corridor will have one flight daily each from Delhi to Kathmandu and from India's side, it will be Air India. Air bubbles are an arrangement that has come amid the COVID-19 pandemic impacting global air transport. Within South Asia, India has an air bubble agreement with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, with Nepal being the latest entrant. New Delhi had proposed the corridor to Nepal and with the visit of the Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla to Kathmandu its approval got further impetus. Sources said, that FS during his visit in connection with the corridor highlighted the "importance of people-to-people connectivity for our special relations with Nepal." Under the travel corridor, Indians, Nepalese, OCI/PIO cardholders of all nationalities, and all valid Indian visa holders will be allowed. This will not include tourist visas. The arrangement will follow medical protocols which has been placed for everyone using these corridors and include RT PCR test report of 72 hours prior to travel. Global air travel came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic. Aimed at restarting commercial passenger services, the transport bubbles are reciprocal in nature and airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.

First flight under India-Nepal air travel corridor in next few days

The United Kingdom has made its stance clear on the ongoing farmers protests in India, saying it's the&nbsp;Indian government's matter.

In response to a WION question,&nbsp;spokesperson of UK's&nbsp;Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office&nbsp;said,&nbsp;“The police handling of protests are a matter for the Government of India.”

Earlier in the day, the matter was raised in the British Parliament. In response to a question raised by&nbsp;Labour Party MP&nbsp;Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, British Prime minister Boris Johnson didn't give any direct&nbsp;response.

Boris said, "Of course, Mr Speaker, and our views as the honourable gentleman knows well of course we have serious concerns about what is happening between India and Pakistan but these are pre-eminently matters for those two governments to settle and I know that he appreciates that point".

Last week Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his concern on the farmers protests in India leading to a sharp reaction from India. The Ministry of External Affairs called the comments "unwarranted", and summoned the Canadian envoy to India Nadir Patel, handing over a strong demarche.

The United Kingdom has made its stance clear on the ongoing farmers protests in India, saying it's the Indian government's matter. In response to a WION question, spokesperson of UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said, “The police handling of protests are a matter for the Government of India.

The United Kingdom has made its stance clear on the ongoing farmers protests in India, saying it's the Indian government's matter. In response to a WION question, spokesperson of UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said, “The police handling of protests are a matter for the Government of India.” Earlier in the day, the matter was raised in the British Parliament. In response to a question raised by Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, British Prime minister Boris Johnson didn't give any direct response. Boris said, "Of course, Mr Speaker, and our views as the honourable gentleman knows well of course we have serious concerns about what is happening between India and Pakistan but these are pre-eminently matters for those two governments to settle and I know that he appreciates that point". Last week Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his concern on the farmers protests in India leading to a sharp reaction from India. The Ministry of External Affairs called the comments "unwarranted", and summoned the Canadian envoy to India Nadir Patel, handing over a strong demarche.

It is a government of India matter: UK on farmer protest

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Sidhant Sibal

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.