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India thanks outgoing envoy Ellis for strengthening ties  

On February 11, 2021, Ellis presented his credentials to the then President Ram Nath Kovind, in a virtual ceremony, who accepted him as theUK’s High Commissioner to India…reports Asian Lite News

India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, on Tuesday warmly welcomed and bid farewell to the outgoing UK High Commissioner, Alex Ellis, while thanking him for strengthening bilateral relationship with India.

EAM Jaishankar expressed his gratitude for the dedicated service and contributions made by the outgoing UK High Commissioner during his tenure in India.

“Glad to receive UK High Commissioner @AlexWEllis on his farewell call. Thank him for strengthening our bilateral relationship,” said EAM Jaishankar in a post on X.

Alex Ellis was appointed as the British High Commissioner to India in 2021.

On February 11, 2021, Ellis presented his credentials to the then President Ram Nath Kovind, in a virtual ceremony, who accepted him as theUK’s High Commissioner to India.

Previously, Alex worked as Deputy National Security Adviser for the Integrated Review on foreign and security policy. He was also Director General in the Department for Exiting the EU for three years, according to UK government.

Alex has extensive experience in security issues, EU and strategy, including DExEU Director General responsible for the UK-EU security partnership, international agreements with the UK’s closest partners and domestic and EU engagement on Brexit.

He also served as British Ambassador to Brazil, (2013 – 2017) and Portugal (2007-10) and also as Director of Strategy in the Foreign Office responsible for developing new tools for improving FCO and government policy.

He was member of the cabinet of the President of the European Commission, with responsibility for energy, climate change, competition, development, trade and strategy; and before that in the UK Representation to the EU working on the negotiations to establish the euro, the seven-year budget, and then institutional issues including the Treaty of Nice.

Alex has worked in the British Embassy in Madrid and started his civil service career as part of the team supporting the transition to multi party democracy in South Africa, following the release of Nelson Mandela.

Prior to this Alex was a teacher, including in India. He sings in a choir and loves music, theatre and most sports, especially cricket. (ANI)

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‘India’s G20 presidency highly ambitious one’

Ellis said these are the priorities that the UK and India share together as part of a broad and deep partnership agreed two years ago, which we want to drive further…reports Asian Lite News

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis on Thursday said India’s G20 presidency has been a highly ambitious one and has dealt with issues like disaster resilient infrastructure, global health, and global food chains.

“We’re reaching the climax of India’s G20 presidency with the summit in Delhi. This has been an incredibly ambitious presidency. It’s been ambitious on substance, dealing with the big issues like disaster resilient, infrastructure, global health, global food chains,” the British High Commissioner said.

Ellis said these are the priorities that the UK and India share together as part of a broad and deep partnership agreed two years ago, which we want to drive further.

He said: “Partnership between two of the largest democracies in the world, also the fifth and sixth biggest economies in the world, benefits the UK, it benefits India and it benefits the world.”

https://twitter.com/dt_next/status/1700069391264858370

The British High Commission in India on Thursday tweeted: “Over 220 meetings across 60 cities and 16 ministerial visits. The much awaited #G20 Summit is less than 48 hours away.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty will arrive in India on Friday to support India’s G20 presidency and UK-India partnership.

Meanwhile, New Delhi is geared up to host the G20 Leader’s Summit in the national capital at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam.

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is taking place under India’s presidency. The event will be graced by many global leaders and delegates. Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both India’s soft power as well as modern face.

Formed in 1999, the G20 was formed to maintain global financial stability by incorporating middle-income countries.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

A G20 Leaders’ declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.

The next G20 presidency is going to be taken over by Brazil in 2024, followed by South Africa in 2025.

‘Heading to G20 with clear focus’

Sunak on Friday said that he is heading to the G20 Summit set to be held under India’s Presidency with a clear focus, which includes stabilising the global economy, building international ties and supporting the most vulnerable.

Sharing a post on X, Sunak stated, “I’m heading to the #G20 Summit with a clear focus. Stabilising the global economy. Building international relationships. Supporting the most vulnerable. This action is part of that – Putin again has failed to show up for the G20, but we will show up with support for Ukraine.”

Rishi Sunak’s remarks come ahead of his arrival in New Delhi for the G20 Summit which is due to be held in Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on September 9-10.

Sunak shared the post in response to a statement made by UK Prime Minister’s Office on X which reads, “The war in Ukraine continues to affect us all. We’re making sure food exports get out of Ukraine to countries that need it: Establishing surveillance in the Black Sea Providing £3m funding for the World Food Programme Convening an international food security summit.”

UK Prime Minister’s Office in a press release said that during the G20 summit Rishi Sunak would emphasise that global leaders must make it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative has increased Russia’s global isolation, and pledge to protect those whose lives have been devastated by the ongoing conflict.

According to the release G20 leaders will on Saturday gather in Delhi to discuss the big challenges faced by the world, including the spike in the cost of living driven by Putin’s actions.

The press release said, “At the summit, the Prime Minister will stress the importance of those who do choose to attend demonstrating their leadership, both in helping the world’s most vulnerable people to deal with the terrible consequences of Putin’s war and in addressing wider challenges like climate change and the stability of the global economy.”

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British High Commissioner inaugurates Winter Carnival 2022

Tamana Foundation, a non-profit voluntary organization hosted the Christmas festivities…reports Asian Lite News

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis inaugurated Christmas festivities for the specially-abled. The Winter Carnival 2022 for the specially-abled was held after a hiatus of two years. In his address for the specially-abled, Alex Ellis said it is “important” to see every individual for “who they are” and “not what the world wants them to be.” Ellis danced with the children during the Christmas festivities.

The specially-abled children presented a cultural performance at the event. Neerja Sekhar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, also attended the event. “Every single one of you here at some point in life will come across a World or a person you do not understand and when you do, the most tempting thing you do is to step away, but all of us should step towards what we do not understand or do not know,” Ellis said.

“The most important thing that we all need to learn and I have learned as we have an autistic son is the individualness of every individual in the world and the greatest gift that you can give to the person is to see them for who they are and not for what you think they should be,” he added.

Tamana Foundation, a non-profit voluntary organization hosted the Christmas festivities. The Winter Carnival is aimed to encourage people to participate in the events by the specially-abled. (ANI)

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High Commissioner Ellis displays his Hindi skills

The party was held ahead of the talks between UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Ellis indicated that talks may include the Russia-Ukraine crisis…reports Asian Lite News

British diplomat flaunted his Hindi speaking skills at The Queen’s Birthday Party organised at the British High Commission on Wednesday night. Speaking at the event, the British high commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, said that the last year was quite difficult due to the coronavirus disease and nowadays Ukraine is facing difficulty due to Russia.

“Namaskar, main aur meri patni dono bahut khush hain ki aaj yahan iss baar sab log hain. Pichhle saal kaafi mushkil tha Covid ke wajah se. Aajkal Ukraine mein bahut mushkil hai Russia ke wajah se. Lekin aaj hum log saath hain. (Hello, I and my wife, both are elated that this time everyone is here. Last year was quite difficult due to Covid. Nowadays it is difficult in Ukraine due to Russia. But today were are together),” Ellis told the gathering.

The British diplomat then switched to English, saying it was the extent of his Hindi. Ellis added that his Hindi teacher was present at the event but “probably hiding with embarrassment.”

“Guruji, my apologies.”

The party was held ahead of the talks between UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Ellis indicated that talks may include the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

“I don’t want to comment on specific issues regarding Ukraine. What I would say is that the principles of UN Charter are important to us all. That is exactly what our Foreign Secretary will be talking with Jaishankar on March 31,” news agency ANI quoted Ellis as saying.

Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Ayog, was also present at Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday party. Kant said that “We’ve had long, historic relations with Britain but we’ve very vibrant relations in world of trade, investment, climate change, sustainability and many areas of growth and partnership.”

“We have a very vibrant, dynamic and very energetic relationship that is going to grow and expand in the years to come even further,” he added.

ALSO READ-Ambassador Ellis holds talks on vax certification with India

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Ambassador Ellis holds talks on vax certification with India

There has been confusion over UK’s vaccine recognition process for Indian travellers…reports Asian Lite News.

Amid concerns in India about UK’s new travel rules, British High Commissioner Alex Ellis on Thursday held discussions with National Health Authority CEO RS Sharma and said neither side raised concerns about each other’s COVID-19 certification process.

Ellis said the “excellent discussions” were an important step forward in “our joint aim to facilitate travel and fully protect the public health of UK and India”.

“Excellent technical discussions with @rssharma3 @AyushmanNHA. Neither side raised technical concerns with each other’s certification process. An important step forward in our joint aim to facilitate travel and fully protect public health of UK and India,” Ellis said in a Tweet.

Ellis had said on Wednesday that Covishield vaccine is not a problem and detailed technical discussions are being held regarding certification of COVID-19 vaccine with the builders of CoWIN app and NHS app.

“We’re clear Covishield is not a problem. The UK is open to travel and we’re already seeing a lot of people going from India to the UK, be it tourists, business people or students. Over 62,500 student visas have been issued in the year ending June 2021, which is an increase of almost 30 per cent as compared to the previous year,” Ellis had said in a statement.

CoWIN is the technological backbone driving vaccination in India and encompasses all constituents of the vaccination process. From validation of the supply of authentic vaccines, registration and certification of citizens, the entire value chain is administered through the CoWIN platform.

There has been confusion over UK’s vaccine recognition process for Indian travellers.

Even though the new rules state that AstraZeneca Covishield is among vaccines that qualify as approved, India is not yet on the list of 17 countries mentioned.

The ‘changes to international travel rules’ by the United Kingdom state that formulations of the four listed vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda, qualify as approved vaccines.

The new UK rules also state that travellers will also qualify as fully vaccinated if they have taken full course of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Covishield, which has been developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, is manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

India had said on Tuesday that it will be within its rights to take reciprocal measures against UK’s “discriminatory” move to recognise AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine but not Covishield if the issue is not satisfactorily resolved.

The new rules will come into effect from October 4. (ANI)

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