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President Kovind cancels 3-nation tour to Serbia, Jamaica and Saint Vincent
The decision to cancel President Kovind’s visit to Serbia, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was confirmed after an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind has cancelled his three-nation tour to Serbia, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, scheduled to begin tomorrow, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The decision was confirmed shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Kovind on the sidelines of an event at the President’s estate. An official confirmed that the two discussed the developing situation in Ukraine where around 15,000 Indian nationals are stranded in the middle of a Russian invasion.
“Yes, it is cancelled. The ministry of external affairs(MEA) will have the details,’’ said a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson. This would have been the President’s second international trip during the coronavirus pandemic, the last one was a three-day state visit to Bangladesh in December.
The ministry of external affairs has not commented on the development.
President Kovind’s office tweeted, “EAM Dr S Jaishankar last night apprised President Ram Nath Kovind of the progress of #OperationGanga for the evacuation of Indian nationals including students from Ukraine. Later the President called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lauded the government’s efforts.’”
PM Modi’s visit to Rashtrapati Bhawan was to inaugurate the Arogya Van or garden of herbs for therapeutic purposes. “President Kovind inaugurated the ‘Arogya Vanam’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Arogya Vanam has been conceived with the aim of publicising the importance of Ayurvedic plants and their effects on human organs. It is now open to public,’’ said an official statement.
