India congratulates Luxembourg on accession of Grand Duke Guillaume, highlights strong bilateral ties

New Delhi [India], November 27 : India on Wednesday extended its warmest greetings to Luxembourg on the accession of Grand Duke Guillaume to the throne, as Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh represented the Indian side as Chief Guest at a reception hosted by the Embassy of Luxembourg in the national capital.

In a post on X, Singh said he conveyed India's greetings to the government and people of Luxembourg on the historic occasion and highlighted the "robust and vibrant partnership" between the two nations.

"Represented the Government of India as the Chief Guest at the reception in honour of the accession of HRH Grand Duke Guillaume to the throne by the Embassy of Luxembourg in New Delhi. Conveyed greetings to the government and the people of Luxembourg on this special occasion and highlighted the robust and vibrant partnership between India and Luxembourg," Singh said in the post on X.

Addressing the gathering, Singh said it was an honour to join the celebrations marking the accession of Grand Duke Guillaume and reaffirmed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

"On behalf of the Government and the people of India, I extend our warmest greetings and sincere felicitations to His Royal Highness, the government and the people of Luxembourg," he said.

He noted that India and Luxembourg share a "longstanding and trusted friendship", rooted in shared democratic values, mutual respect and a commitment to multilateralism. Diplomatic ties established in 1948 completed 75 years in 2023.

Recalling significant milestones, Singh highlighted the India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit held in November 2020, during which both Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to deepen engagement, as well as the visit of Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Xavier Bettel, to India earlier this year for the Raisina Dialogue, which further energised ties.

"Over these seven and a half decades, our relationship has grown steadily. One of the most significant moments in our recent history was the India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit in November 2020, where our Prime Ministers reaffirmed the shared commitment to further deepen our partnership. The visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Xavier Bettel to India in March this year for the Raisina Dialogue gave new impetus to our existing bilateral ties," the MoS said.

Singh underscored that economic and financial cooperation remains the strongest pillar of the partnership.

"With over 5 billion US dollars in cumulative FDI inflows, Luxembourg is an important economic partner for India, making it one of the largest EU investors in India," he said, adding that Luxembourg's globally respected financial ecosystem complements India's dynamic investment environment.

He also pointed to growing convergence between Luxembourg's expertise in sustainable finance and India's emerging GIFT City in Ahmedabad.

Highlighting new areas of collaboration, Singh noted space cooperation including ISRO's launch of four nanosatellites from Luxembourg in 2020 and the signing of an MoU on peaceful uses of outer space in 2022 as well as expanding ties in health and life sciences.

He cited the example of Luxembourg-based B-Medical Systems establishing its first manufacturing unit outside Europe in Mundra, Gujarat, calling it a testament to the "tangible potential" of bilateral cooperation.

"Space is another emerging area of our cooperation, where India's globally admired space program can be successfully leveraged. In 2020, ISRO launched four nanosatellites from Luxembourg. This was followed by an MoU on peaceful uses of outer space in 2022. I would also like to highlight our growing cooperation in the health sector. Luxembourg's focus on personalised healthcare and biomedicine aligns well with India's strengths in life sciences and pharmaceuticals," Singh said.

He also appreciated the Indian diaspora in Luxembourg for their contribution to the local economy and society.

Looking ahead, he said there is "immense potential" for cooperation in digital technologies, financial innovation, sustainability and space, reaffirming India's commitment to building a future-oriented partnership.

"I foresee immense possibilities for collaboration between India and Luxembourg in sectors of digital and financial technologies, sustainability, innovation, and space.We remain committed to building our future together that benefits both our people," the MoS noted.

Concluding his remarks, Singh offered India's warmest wishes for the "continued health and happiness" of Grand Duke Guillaume and for the prosperity of the people of Luxembourg.

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