Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], January 10 : The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad, in the wake of several recent conflicts in different countries with Indian nationals.
Addressing the Special briefing on the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Kumar Chatterjee referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance that the government is always prepared to protect the Indians globally.
In response to questions about the safety of Indian citizens overseas, the MEA Secretary said, "As PM Modi assured, as far as Pravasi Bharatiya is concerned or any Indian in any corner of the globe is concerned, if there is any problem or if there is any crisis, rest assured the Government of India is there to protect you."
"When it comes to the security and safety of Indians, it is something bilaterally India deals with the country concerned, we talk about the issues at a bilateral level," he added.
The Ministry further emphasised that the protection of Indians abroad is a continuous process, not limited to events like the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention.
"It's not that it is only confined to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in which it is discussed, but rest assured, the Government of India is always committed to ensuring the security and safety of our Indians, and the local governments also give us full assurance that they will be protecting the security and safety of Indian nationals," the MEA Secretary said.
During the special briefing, Chatterjee shared the news of the successful conclusion of the convention and stated, "I'm very happy to inform you that an hour ago we successfully concluded the official engagements of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in partnership with the State Government of Odisha."
"The three-day 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention started on 8th January and continued till today, that is 10th January. The theme for the PBD 2025 was "Diaspora's Contribution to a Viksit Bharat". The youth PBD was held on the first day which is on the 8th of January," he added.
The opening session was addressed by key leaders, including Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other prominent figures.
"The opening session of this event was addressed by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, and other leaders...The Chief Minister of Odisha and the External Affairs Minister parallelly chaired a Pravasi Bharatiya Business Leaders meeting which was addressed by both the leaders," Chatterjee said.
"The External Affairs Minister underlined the Government of India's steadfast commitment to Mission Purvodaya and the role of Odisha to its success," he added.
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lauded the contributions of the Indian diaspora and stated that they have left an "indelible mark" on the global society.
Addressing the Valedictory Session and Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards Ceremony on Friday, Jaishankar stated that the people of Indian origin are holding political offices and leading organisations, the EAM said that their "extraordinary achievements" have made Indians proud and have bolstered India's ties with other countries.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with each other.
The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the State Government of Odisha from January 8 to 10 in Bhubaneswar.
The theme of this PBD Convention is "Diaspora's Contribution to a Viksit Bharat". A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention.
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