External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the enthusiastic Indian community here on Tuesday and was happy to see their love and dedication towards the nation.
Jaishankar reached Panama from Guyana on Monday. He met President Nieto Cortizo and conveyed personal greetings of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Him.
He also visited a Hindu temple in Panama.
“The morning in Panama City began with receiving divine blessings at a Hindu temple and meeting an enthusiastic Indian community. It was heartening to see their love and dedication for the country.
During his interaction with the Indian community, the External Affairs Minister said he was “surprised” when he was informed that this is the first time in 60 years that an Indian Foreign Minister is visiting Panama.
Diplomatic relations between India and Panama were established in 1962.
He further added that “I wondered whether there was little effort on your part or whether your invitation was not enthusiastic enough…” he said.
He also noted that, in the past few years, former Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi have visited Panama.
and “expressed full confidence that more representatives of India would visit the country in future.” Former Vice President Naidu visited Panama City in May 2018 and Lekhi visited the country in May 2022.
Jaishankar also spoke about his meeting with Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo and Foreign Minister Janaina Tewane Mencomo.
Interacting with the community, Jaishankar said the Panamanian President said the changes taking place in India, including developments related to digital, healthcare, inclusion and infrastructure, have global relevance.
He said that he was happy to hear the views of the President of Panama regarding India and the people of India living in Panama.
A total of 4,000 NRIs, 11,000 PIOs and 15,000 overseas Indians live in Panama, a country situated on the isthmus connecting the two continents of North America and South America.
Most of the Indians living here are Gujarati, Sindhi and Sikh.
He also talked about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected the world.
In his remarks, he also spoke about the stranded Indians in Sudan and the efforts being made by the government to evacuate them safely.
“I am in Panama right now. I was in Guyana for the last few days. However, my mind is in Sudan. We are running ‘Operation Kaveri’ there, in which we want to evacuate and rescue Indians stranded in Sudan. Working to bring back or transfer them to another country and evacuate safely.” India on Tuesday evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Sudan on naval ship INS Sumedha and provided essential supplies to its remaining stranded citizens. Relief supplies delivered as a ceasefire continues in the African country.
He said that “New India” is not a slogan or a political thing. However, ‘New India’ is proving itself in ‘Operation Kaveri’. During ‘Operation Ganga’ last year, before that during ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, “New India” proved itself.
Jaishankar on Monday announced the launch of ‘Operation Kaveri’, a mission to bring back stranded Indians from Sudan, which is facing fierce fighting following a power struggle between the regular army and the RSF.
‘Operation Ganga’ was an initiative launched by the Government of India to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine and ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ was a massive repatriation drive by the Government of India to bring back Indians stranded in different parts of the world. Did corona virus crisis.
After his visit to Panama, Jaishankar will travel to Colombia, where he will meet several top leaders of the country and review bilateral relations with his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Leyva Duran.
Jaishankar on Monday joined Guyana President Irfan Ali at the launch of a Made in India ferry that will enhance connectivity and provide mobility and economic opportunities to remote areas of the country.
Jaishankar is on a nine-day visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, his first visit to these Latin American countries and the Caribbean as External Affairs Minister.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)