Dubai: The effort of diplomats in helping their citizens in the COVID-19 crisis was praised by at event held to mark the International Diplomats Day.
The remarks came during an event organised by the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Saturday celebrating the occasion as well as the 75th anniversary of the UN, in the presence of a number of consuls general, as well as Ahmed Al Banna, UAE’s ambassador to India, and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, among others. Speaking about UAE-India ties, Al Banna addressed the gathering saying the two countries have reached the level of a “strategic relationship”.
Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai, also spoke during the event. Regarding the occasion, the consulate tweeted: “Presence of a number of senior diplomats and officials from UAE exhibited the solidarity towards common goals for making the world a better place to live. Speeches of Brahmvihari Das of BAPS and Sunil Sinha of Tata Sons stressed on role of compassion and philanthropy.” BAPS, or Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, is a “socio-spiritual” Hindu organisation, while Tata Sons is one India’s biggest holding companies.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Indian diplomats in the UAE and elsewhere have spearheaded repatriation efforts for hundreds of thousands of stranded Indian nationals. Indians make up the biggest expat community in the UAE, numbering around 3 million.
What is Day of Diplomats
The International Day of Diplomats has been celebrated annually on October 24 since 2017; some countries have their own day to honour their diplomats. The idea of celebrating the occasion on United Nations Day was proposed by Abhay Kumar, ambassador of India to Madagascar and Comoros, who is also a poet and author.
