New Delhi: Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Xavier Bettel on Monday stressed the importance of maintaining “trusted and honest” relations with India, while also praising the leadership for its efficiency in delivering commitments.
Addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, Bettel reflected on his 13 years in government, saying Luxembourg and India had made significant efforts to strengthen their relationship over the years.
“And as you said just before, you can’t choose your neighbours, but you can choose your friends. And so to be here is also part of this friendship. In my 13th year now in government, I think we did a lot to deepen the relations between both countries,” he stated.
Bettel also recalled his earlier ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as Luxembourg’s Prime Minister and expressed appreciation for Indian leadership in promoting dialogue and building bridges.
“I was very lucky also to have good relations before, when I was Prime Minister, with your Prime Minister… Being a democracy is not very common nowadays, and I really would love to say thank you to the Indian leadership for that,” he mentioned.
He also lauded PM Modi’s efficiency in delivering on political commitments, recalling India’s response to joint projects with Luxembourg during the Covid pandemic.
“What I like about you and Prime Minister Modi is that when you say something, you do it also, which is something that is much appreciated…I saw it during the Covid period when we had common projects. 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 what the promise is. In India, this was the start but also the end because the next day everything was done. So I was impressed also by the efficiency of the political statements that you do,” said the Luxembourg Foreign Minister.
Bettel also extended his greetings to India on the country’s 80th Independence Day, celebrated last month.
While concluding, Bettel thanked India for its friendship and leadership while emphasising the significance of a pragmatic approach to resolving international conflicts and building bridges between countries.
“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. And 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,” he noted.
(IANS)
