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Remarks by Ambassador Sibi George atInauguration of Festival of India in Geneva, October 5, 2018

Posted on: October 12, 2018 | Back | Print

Remarks by Ambassador Sibi George 
atInauguration of Festival of India in Geneva, October 5, 2018

Excellencies, Friends of India, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Let me begin by welcoming your Excellencies and Friends of India to this evening. I acknowledge the presence of Hon’ble Member of Parliament Shri Anurag Thakur here today. Welcome Sir.

This festival of India is part of a yearlong celebrations that the Indian Embassy in Berne is organizing all across Switzerland as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the signing of Friendship Treaty between India and Switzerland signed in 1948. Through this festival our endeavour is to connect Himalayas with Alps; India with Switzerland. We have a variety of artists from India performing during September to December 2018, to commemorate the 70th anniversary. Today we are in Geneva. I thank Permanent Mission of India in Geneva for partnering with us. Here we try to showcase some of the traditional cultural diversity of India. Tomorrow we will be in Fribourg and next day in Berne.

This year, we are also celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation of India. I started the day by paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Ariana Park here.

I recall recent a conversation that I had with a Student from one of the reputed universities in Geneva. She asked me, Ambassador, to get a grip over India, its culture, its diversity, its values, its traditions, its cuisine, its music, its civilization, its costumes, how much time does one need to spent in India. My answer was simple, for one to get a grip of India one needs to spend a life time in India. If that is not possible, you could visit India for a few months, to get a taste of India. If that is also not possible join the India celebrations that we plan to organize in coming months and weeks. I am happy to learn that we have that student sitting among our midst today. She has returned from a two week visit to India.

In recent years, there has been a deeper engagement of India and Switzerland in recent years. As you are aware, Prime Minister Modi was in Switzerland in June 2016. Swiss President was in New Delhi on a State visit in August 2017 during which we issued a forward looking comprehensive Joint Statement which calls for a ‘long standing dynamic partnership’. In January 2018, Prime Minister Modi was in Switzerland to deliver the opening key-note address at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. And in August this year we had the Foreign Minister of Switzerland H.E. Dr. Ignazio Cassis visiting New Delhi and the historic city of Varanasi. I accompanied him in his meetings in Delhi. We maintain regular engagement with the political leadership in Switzerland and its Cantons.

Equally important is our business engagement with Switzerland which is growing rapidly. Our bilateral trade today is nearly USD 20 billion. The engagement between Indian and Swiss companies are deepening. Same is the case with other areas such as culture, movies, yoga, Ayurveda, tourism, cuisine and people to people exchanges. We have an Ayurveda lounge operational here at Hotel Intercontinental.

As you are aware the Embassy has set up an Indian Professionals Network (IPN) and Indian Cultural Network (ICN) which organize regular events.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that I see an India connect in every corner of Switzerland. Almost every museum in this country has some India connection. Last month I visited the Swiss Games Museum in Montreux. It has a unique collection of games which originated in India. The Rietberg museum in Zurich has one of the best collections of India art. I was in Lugano a few weeks back, there at the museum has some of the rare collections of photographs of Mahatma Gandhi that Walter Bosshard, a Swiss, took in 1930s. At present at the Swiss National Museum in Prangins, there is an exhibition on ‘Chintz – A Fabric which revolutionalised the world’ with a unique collection of cotton fabric from India.

Every year several hundreds of thousands of Indians travel to Switzerland to appreciate the beautiful landscapes of Switzerland. Each year several thousands of Swiss nationals travel to India for tourism and business. Almost every city in Switzerland has an Indian restaurant and also group of citizens who believe in yoga and practice it every day. Indian film industry continues to look at Switzerland as a shooting destination.  The list of engagement is long.I urge you to keep in contact with us through social media including through our website, Facebook and twitter.

I once again welcome you to this festival. Have a good evening.

Thank you.

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