Finance
By: Shree1news, 17 FEB 2021
A delegation of foreign envoys from 24 nations arrived in Srinagar on a two-day go to to the Valley on Wednesday to take stock of the Union Territory’s improvement work and security situation, particularly after the successful exercise of the District Development Council elections.
The delegation includes envoys from Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Bolivia, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, EU, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Bangladesh, Malawi, Eritrea, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan.
After being accorded a traditional welcome, they had been briefed on the Panchayati Raj and grievance redressal system at Magam block of Budgam district. French envoy Emmanuel Lenain and Italian envoy Vincenzo de Luca also interacted with locals.
On Thursday, the ambassadors would go to Jammu where they are likely to meet DDC members and representatives of some social organisations. They are going to be briefed about the security situation by senior officers involved in the law and order situation in the Valley, particulary on Pakistan’s frequent ceasefire violations and makes an attempt to push terrorists into India through the Line of Control, officers stated.
Their visit comes days after the 4G mobile Internet was restored after one-and-A-half years in all of the Union Territory.
On February 9, 2020, the government had taken a group of 15 foreign envoys to Srinagar for a two-day go to to review the ground situation.
In October 2019, in the first visit by a foreign delegation after the government’s decision on J&K, a team of 23 MEPs (Members of European Parliament) — many from far-right parties — went to Kashmir on a two-day trip.
The MEA spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, had then stated that the MEPs had “expressed a keen desire” to see the ground situation, and their statements reflected that they got an understanding of the “how terrorism affects India, and how terrorism affects Kashmir”. He stated it was a kind of a “familiarisation visit” for these MPs, who had been from from different parties and different countries.
Responding to the criticism that the visit was organised by private organisations, the MEA spokesperson had stated many visits by foreign dignitaries take place by means of non-official channels.
Source:A-N
