PM Modi Not To Visit Brussels As India-EU Summit Postponed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Says MEA

India-EU Summit, slated to be held later this month, has been postponed amid coronavirus outbreak. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the next date will be soon worked out by both the countries. “As far as India-EU Summit is concerned which PM Modi had to attend, the health authorities of both the countries suggested that travelling must not take place at present. So, it has been decided that Summit will be rescheduled on a mutually convenient date,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Brussels. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had visited the capital of Belgium to the groundwork for PM’s visit.

Earlier, a 23-member delegation of European Union MPs had visited India for a first-hand assessment of the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. The delegation had also met PM Modi and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval ahead of their visit.

The European Union delegation was briefed about the situation in the newly formed state and cross-border terrorism emanating from across the border.

Opposition slams EU delegation visit

Opposition parties had slammed the government over the EU delegation visit and termed it a ‘PR exercise’. The National Conference hit out at the Centre saying such ‘stunts’ are not the answer to the situation in the region.

“The visit of the selected EU MPs, largely of a particular ideology, is clearly a PR exercise. It is ironical that European MPs are visiting the Valley when the state's leaders including three former Chief Ministers, are incarcerated for nearly three months now, and hundreds of others are in jails across the country," the National Conference said in a statement.

The party said the Centre should take "concrete steps" to resolve the issue in the state.

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"What the people of Kashmir think of the MPs' visit is very clear from an intensified shutdown in the Valley today," it said.

With PTI Inputs