Hardeep Singh Puri interacts with EU envoys, discusses steps taken to handle COVID-19

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday, October 15 held a video conference with Ambassador of European Union to India Ugo Astuto and envoys from 27 member nations and discussed the strategic steps taken by India to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. As per reports, he also discussed several opportunities created in the wake of disruptions caused by the pandemic. 

READ: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Announces India-Ukraine Air Bubble Agreement

Sustainability for a post-COVID-19 world

According to the reports, he added that India has covered several issues which include civil aviation, development of infrastructure in cities and policy interventions implemented under AatmaNirbharBharat Abhiyan. He also added that the new reforms undertaken across industries in India are attracting FDIs. 

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He further said India is enhancing inclusivity and sustainability for a post-COVID-19 world. "We are enhancing inclusivity and sustainability in India for a post COVID world in which we will position ourselves as a robust economy in the global context and will be able to emerge stronger", ANI quoted him. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, an air bubble arrangement has been made for flights between India and Ukraine under the Vande Bharat Mission. According to reports, to date, India has formed such arrangements with 16 countries - Afghanistan, Bahrain, Oman, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, the Maldives, Nigeria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Bhutan, United Kingdom, and United States. 

The Vande Bharat Mission has brought back over 20 lakh employable Indians to the country from foreign shores, a senior official of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said earlier. ILO director Dagmar Walter is reported said at a virtual event that India is the largest migrant-sending country as per the 2019 World Bank report and earns up to $82 billion annually in the form of remittances from workers abroad. She added that massive job losses and visa expiry led to a high stranded Indian global migrant population in various countries.

The union government had launched the Vande Bharat Mission in May to bring home stranded Indians from across the world amid coronavirus-related restrictions. The mission is in its sixth phase which will continue till October 24, as per reports. 

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Inputs: ANI; Image: PTI