Focus on well-being of stranded citizens, PM tells embassies
nNEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tasked Indian missions around the world to ensure the welfare of citizens stranded because of Covid-19-related restrictions, and to forge collaborations to find solutions to the pandemic.
Modi issued the instructions during a video conference with heads of some 130 embassies and high commissions – the first such event for Indian missions worldwide – to discuss responses to the pandemic.
People familiar with developments said the conference, the latest in a string of virtual initiatives undertaken by the government to forge a coordinated response to Covid-19, allowed PM to outline the general direction to be taken by envoys, said the people cited above who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Earlier, we had taken steps for the evacuation of citizens. Now, the focus is on the well-being and welfare of our stranded citizens. All embassies were tasked to be in constant touch with the communities and to provide assistance wherever possible,” said a person.
“There was also discussion on the many things we could get from the countries on the frontline – this includes joint research and collaboration, technologies, development of solutions, both therapeutic and vaccines, and testing and diagnostic kits.”
Some 5,000 Indians are still in
Iran while Italy is home to an Indian diaspora of some 180,000, mainly workers from Punjab.
Ten heads of mission from Beijing, Washington, Tehran, Rome, Berlin, Kathmandu, Abu Dhabi, Kabul, Male and Seoul, offered their perspectives and shared feedback on the “resolute measures taken by India to combat this pandemic”, an official statement said.
The official statement quoted Modi as saying that “extraordinary times require extraordinary solutions”.
Modi called on the envoys to take five specific steps – ensure the health and safety of their teams and families, attend to Indians in foreign countries at a time of uncertainty over international travel restrictions, identify best practices, innovations and scientific breakthroughs and sources for medical equipment, ensure that commerce in essential supplies, logistics chains and remittances are unaffected, and pay close attention to the evolving international political and economic situation in the context of the pandemic.