Luxembourg FM Xavier Bettel Praises India’s Leadership and Efficiency

By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel on Monday expressed appreciation for Indian leadership in promoting dialogue and building bridges as he recalled his earlier ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as PM

He stressed the importance of maintaining “trusted and honest” relations with India and praised the leadership for its efficiency in delivering commitments.

Xavier Bettel was addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, Bettel talked about his 13 years in the Government, stating that the two sides made significant efforts to strengthen their relationship over the years, media reported.

He said “And as you said just before, you can’t choose your neighbours, but you can choose your friends. And so to be here is also part of this friendship. In my 13th year now in government, I think we did a lot to deepen the relations between both countries.”

Xavier Bettel said “I was very lucky also to have good relations before, when I was Prime Minister, with your Prime Minister… Being a democracy is not very common nowadays, and I really would love to say thank you to the Indian leadership for that.”

He praised Prime Minister Modi’s efficiency in delivering on political commitments, recalling India’s response to joint projects with Luxembourg during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Luxembourg Foreign Minister said “What I like about you and Prime Minister Modi is that when you say something, you do it also, which is something that is much appreciated. I saw it during the Covid period when we had common projects. Your Prime Minister said, ‘We are going to do it’. Usually, when we say that in Europe, it’s the start of discussions to see how we can fulfil what the promise is. In India, this was the start but also the end because the next day everything was done. So I was also impressed by the efficiency of the political statements that you do”.