31 March 2020, New Delhi
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a video conference with the heads of India’s Embassies and High Commissions worldwide on Monday.
This video conference — the first such event for Indian Missions worldwide — was held to discuss the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Modi said that extraordinary times require extraordinary solutions, which was why even in this globalized era, most of the world had quarantined itself.
This was an unavoidable step taken to fight this pandemic, but it was also hugely consequential, as the closure of the globalized system has had an extensive and far-reaching impact upon the international transport system, financial markets and the global economy.
Prime Minister Modi said that India had taken unprecedented and early steps in response to this pandemic from mid-January this year, to reduce the risk of importing the infection, and thereafter to prevent a large outbreak.
This included the world’s largest quarantine and lock-down, implemented by India.
He also exhorted the diplomatic missions to ensure their own health and safety, and that of their teams and families; to attend to Indians who remain in various foreign countries, given the uncertainty of continuing international travel restrictions.
PM Modi also called on Heads of Indian Missions to help boost the morale of such compatriots abroad, and to help them address issues arising from their unplanned stay abroad, with their host Governments, and also to address other problems Indians might face abroad, including arranging shelter, where necessary and feasible.
On the occasion, PM Modi also asked them to stay alert and identify in their countries of accreditation best practices, innovations, scientific breakthroughs and sources to procure medical equipment, for India’s fight against COVID-19.
He also asked them to focus on ensuring that commerce in essential supplies, logistics chains, remittances and so on are unaffected, through their coordination with foreign partners, and to continue to pay close attention to the evolving international political and economic situation, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response, 10 Heads of Mission, in Washington DC, Beijing, Rome, Tehran, Kathmandu, Berlin, Kabul, Abu Dhabi, Male, and Seoul offered their perspectives to PM and the rest of the audience.
