External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will address his G7 meeting virtually as a ‘measure of abundant caution’. His meeting will virtually after the Indian members accompanying him to the UK tested COVID-19 positive.
Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, “Was made aware yesterday evening of exposure to possible Covid positive cases. As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 Meeting today as well.”
S Jaishankar was about to join ministers from the other G-7 guest nations for the first formal gathering over a working dinner.
Meanwhile bilateral meeting scheduled with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at Chevening in Kent is maybe on a virtual form.
“We deeply regret that Foreign Minister Dr Jaishankar will be unable to attend the meeting today in person and will now attend virtually, but this is exactly why we have put in place strict Covid protocols and daily testing,” a senior UK diplomat at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told PTI.
S Jaishankar has called Coronavirus a common problem and a global crisis.
In an interview to news agency ANI, Jaishankar said, “When an epidemic comes, there are arguments and questions.” People have said about the election. We are a democratic country. We cannot stop elections in a democracy.
He added, “The last time we stopped the election, it was a different phase. A few decades ago when I was quite young, but none of us want to be associated with that kind of memory. “
