New Delhi: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a commitment, it is followed by action, Luxembourg’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Xavier Bettel said on Monday while lauding India’s “efficiency” and leadership on the global stage.
Bettel made the remarks during his bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during which he praised India’s approach to building bridges between countries and addressing global challenges.
“What I like also, it’s with you, also with Prime Minister Modi, it’s when you say something, you do it also,” the deputy PM said.
He recalled cooperation between India and Luxembourg during the COVID-19 pandemic and said he was particularly impressed by the speed and efficiency with which India followed through on its commitments.
“Your Prime Minister said, ‘we are going to do it’. Usually, when we say that in Europe, it’s the start of discussions to see how we can fulfil the promises. In India, this was the start but also the end because the next day everything was done,” he said.
“I was impressed also by the efficiency of the political statements that you do,” Bettel added.
Thanking the Indian leadership for its role in building bridges amid global conflicts and uncertainties, he stressed that a pragmatic approach to international challenges is ultimately “in favour of people.”
“Some of the countries do not understand that when you want to build bridges, it is important to be pragmatic. And it’s not being against someone; it is in favour of people,” Bettel said, while expressing hope that India would continue to demonstrate the same efficiency in dealing with conflicts and challenges confronting the world.
“This is what I really hope that you will be able to be as efficient as you were also in the past in all these conflicts that we have nowadays,” the leader from Luxembourg said.
He described India and Luxembourg as friends and highlighted the importance of trusted and honest relations. The two countries had made significant progress in deepening bilateral ties over the years, he said.
Bettel also underlined the growing economic relationship between the two nations and said Luxembourg’s economy minister was holding separate discussions aimed at further strengthening cooperation.
During the discussions between the two leaders, Jaishankar underlined how trade, investment and financial cooperation are at the heart of India-Luxembourg ties, as he welcomed Bettel to India.
Thanking Luxembourg for its “very strong support” for the India-EU FTA, he noted that the agreement had crossed an important milestone and was now moving towards its entry into force.