Prime Minster Narendra Modi has postponed his visit to Brussels for the India-EU Summit because of the COVID-19 outbreak. He was supposed to be flying out later this month.
Modi will, however, visit Dhaka to participate in the birth centenary celebrations of Banga Bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's father of the nation. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not give the date for the PM's Bangladesh visit, which will be combined with a bilateral component. The birth centenary of Rahman is on March 17.
There were talks of a forthcoming visit to Cairo, too. However, the dates hadn't been decided, so the need for deferment hasn't arisen.
Regarding deferring the Brussels visit, the MEA said, "Both sides have agreed that due to health authorities advising against travel between regions, it would be wise to re-schedule the Summit to a later mutually convenient date. The decision has been taken in the spirit of the close cooperation between India and the EU who share the same concerns and commitment to global health and hope that the outbreak is contained soon."
Indian diplomats had worked hard to ensure a successful visit, given that members of the EU had strong feelings against the Citizenship Amendment Act India recently legislated. The EU parliament had deferred a vote on the topic. Will a postponement of Modi's trip now mean that efforts to sustain a bonhomie in the EU will have to continue?
India, meanwhile, is setting up a laboratory in Iran to screen Indians stranded in the country for COVID-19 before facilitating their return home. Apart from a few hundred students, there are fishermen and pilgrims who are stuck in Tehran. India will, however, not operate special flights to evacuate these people; they will have to use regular commercial carriers. These passengers will still have to undergo mandatory quarantine on touchdown in India.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Wuhan was an exception because it was in lockdown state. Other cohorts of the disease were not shut out completely.
Meanwhile, India has cancelled all visas issued from Japan, Iran, Italy and South Korea for travel to India after March 3. The stay on visas from China, which was announced in early February, too, continues.
While the cancellation of visas has evoked complaints, officials are clear that stern measures are required to stop entry of infection into India, where, with its huge population, matters could become grave.
The Indian government has issued an advisory against travel to China, Japan, South Korea, Iran and Italy and also urged people to restrict travel elsewhere, too, while the outbreak is on.
Modi himself is taking keen interest in monitoring India's preparedness and response to the situation. The health and external affairs ministry are working on tandem on this issue.
