Gandhinagar, Jan 11 (IANS) US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived at the inaugural of the Vibrant Gujarat global investment summit well after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank president Jim Yong Kim had been seated and the function had started. As Kerry walked up the stage, Modi got up from his seat to welcome him.
Modi and Kerry did not just shake hands as world leaders generally do. Both gave each other a warm hug as the others, mostly industry captains, business leaders and CEOs, applauded. Kerry and Modi spoke to each other briefly as Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli and Chief Minister Anandiben Patel looked on. In his speech later, Kerry said he was happy to be in the home state of Modi, whom he described as a visionary leader.
Kerry pointed out that US President Barack Obama's visit to India for the Jan 26 Republic Day Parade was a first for any US president.
"This is also the first time ever that a US president has visited one country twice in his tenure," Kerry said. The warmth Kerry and Modi showed and Obama's impending visit are clear signs of warming relations between the US and India.
xxx
Big applause
The biggest and almost continuous applause during the summit inaugural was not for John Kerry, Ban Ki-moon, Jim Yong Kim or others. The honour went to Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.
Tobgay spoke just before Modi but was able to generate a lot of interest among those present. He spoke in English and near fluent Hindi and connected well with everyone. He spoke about Bhutan being a tiny Himalayan country and, while tucked away between giants China and India, offering abundant natural resources, tranquility and quality of life.
Tobgay spoke about the Gross Domestic Happiness being paramount instead of the world's race for higher GDP. The way he delivered his address, with facts about Bhutan, had the whole hall at the Mahatma Mandir complex applauding him.
xxx
British minister Lord Livingstone too had lighter moments in his speech. He thanked Indian industrial giant Tata Sons for giving Britain and the world the Jaguar-Land Rover brand of luxury cars. He had the gathering in splits when he remarked that most of the laws and regulations the Indian government was grappling with and trying to remove were actually made and implemented during the British rule in India. "Now we are helping the (Indian) government to remove these," he said.
xxx
Mastercard international's CEO Ajay Banga pointed out that he was a living example of 'Make in India', the slogan coined by Prime Minister Modi. "I was born in India and studied here (IIM Ahmedabad) and worked in India for 15 years. So I was made in India. Then I moved (to the US) and have been there for the last 15 years. I was exported there, as most Made in India things are," Banga said.
Tamil Nadu Parties Slam Jaitley-Jayalalithaa Meeting
Chennai, Jan 19 (IANS) Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu Monday criticised the meeting between Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa."Is it proper on the
Odisha to encourage people on Renewable Energy: CM
Bhubaneswar, March 26 (IANS) The Odisha government plans to bring in a policy which would encourage people to harness and utilise renewable energy on their rooftops and in backyards, Chief
Where was Kareena during the knife attack on Saif Ali Khan? Fans were shocked to see the pictures of the party.
The information about the attack on Saif Ali Khan has shocked everyone. Late night, the thief broke into his house and stabbed the actor 6 times with a knife. After this, Saif was admitted to Lilavati
27th day of attack on Ukraine: Russian media claims - 10 thousand Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine war so far; News disappeared after pressure
Today is the 27th day of the Russia-Ukraine war. According to Komsomoliska Pravda, a supporter of the Putin government, 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed so far in the war against Ukraine. The
Trinamool sacks Mukul Roy as General Secretary
Kolkata, Feb 28 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress Saturday sacked Mukul Roy - once party supremo Mamata Banerjee's second-in-command - as its national general secretary.Banerjee's close aide Subrata
Pakistan started pleading for talks with India, Shehbaz Sharif said- 'We now want to resolve all disputes'
After facing defeat in Operation Sindoor, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed his desire for peace talks with India to resolve all issues including Kashmir, terrorism, water,
Paris Olympics Day 6 Schedule: Swapnil will be responsible for getting the medal, the hockey team will face Belgium
The fifth day of the Paris Olympics was good for the Indian team. On Wednesday, Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale reached the final of the men's 50-meter rifle three-position event. On Thursday, there
Great deal to buy the OnePlus 10R 5G cheaply, Amazon is giving a huge discount, know full details
OnePlus 10R 5G Discount Offer: OnePlus 10R 5G is a powerful phone coming with the company's 150W fast charging, 50MP camera, and 12GB RAM. If you were waiting to get less money or a good offer on this
Deadly Cough Syrup: Two more children from Chhindwara died, taking the total number of deaths due to cold-related cough to 22.
The death toll of children due to cold-drying poisoning continues unabated. The death toll in Madhya Pradesh has now reached 22. Two more children undergoing treatment in Nagpur after consuming the
CPI-M condemns raid on Shimla office
New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) The CPI-M on Thursday condemned the police raid on its office in Shimla and the arrest of more than a dozen people.The CPI-M said the police broke open the door of its
