Tag: switzerland

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Lekhi to embark on eight-day visit to Uzbekistan and Switzerland

She will be delivering a lecture on ‘India’s democratic traditions’ at the prestigious Tashkent State University of Law…reports Asian Lite News

Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture (MoS) Meenakashi Lekhi will undertake an eight-day official visit to Uzbekistan and Switzerland from September 23 to 30, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the MEA, during her visit to Uzbekistan from September 23-26, MoS Lekhi will meet Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and Minister of Culture Ozodbek Nazarbekov.

She will be delivering a lecture on ‘India’s democratic traditions’ at the prestigious Tashkent State University of Law.

She will also have an interaction with members of the Indian community in Tashkent and meet distinguished Indologists from the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies and other institutions.

As per the Ministry, the MoS will be addressing the students of Bukhara State University as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations as well as interacting with Indian students at Samarkand State Medical Institute.

During her visit to Switzerland from September 27-30, the MoS will hold discussions with Dr. Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Minister) and Alain Berset, Federal Councillor, Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture.

MoS Lekhi will address the inaugural NZZ Impact Finance Conference on “Infrastructure in emerging markets – an engine of growth and real impact” as well as the Annual General Meeting of Swiss-India Chamber of Commerce.

The MoS will also interact with the Indo-Swiss community and will meet with the members of the international community in Geneva.

India enjoys close and friendly relations with both Uzbekistan and Switzerland. The visit of the MoS will help in sustaining the momentum in our bilateral ties with both these countries, the MEA said.

ALSO READ: UAE Targets $100b trade with India within 5 years

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China UAE News World

UAE’s non-oil trade surges to Dh1.403 trillion

UAE’s non-oil trade surges to Dh1.403 trillion

The value of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade surged to AED1.403 trillion in 2020, reflecting the robust business momentum of the country’s trade exchanges despite the pandemic’s fallout…reports Asian Lite News

According to the data released by the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics (FCSA), the UAE commands a coveted position globally and regionally in merchandise trade, with its non-oil exports growing 10.1 percent in 2020 to AED254.6 bn as compared to 2019.

The imports hit AED785.1 bn, accounting for 56 percent of total merchandise trade, with re-exports comprising 26 percent, or AED363.4 bn, of the total trade volume in the reference year.

UAE’s non-oil trade surges to Dh1.403 trillion

China retained its top rank as the main trading partner of the UAE, with the bilateral trade value reaching AED174 bn, followed by Saudi Arabia at AED104 bn, with India in the third place at AED102.5 bn. The US was the fourth largest trade partner at AED80.2 billion and then Iraq at AED53 billion. The five countries account for 36.6 percent of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade, as compared to 44.1 percent in 2019, thus corroborating the improved competitiveness status boasted by the UAE in terms of diversifying into multiple markets.

Switzerland topped UAE’s export markets with AED29.2 bn, receiving 11.5 percent of the UAE’s non-oil exports, followed by Saudi Arabia, AED25.6 bn, India, AED19.7 bn, then Turkey, AED18.4 bn and Italy, AED18.2 bn.

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China is the UAE’s top import partner, with a total value of AED144.4 of non-oil commodities, followed by the US, AED60.5 bn, India, AED60.5 bn, Japan, AED34.7 bn and Germany, AED26.7 bn. The five countries account for 41.6 percent of the UAE’s imports.

In terms of re-exports, Saudi Arabia comes first with a total value of AED54.6 bn, followed by Iraq, AED40.6 bn, Oman, AED23.3 bn, India, AED22.3 bn, and then China, AED19.6 bn.

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-Top News UK News

UK, Switzerland ink deal to secure healthcare access

The Convention on Social Security Coordination, which benefits citizens of both countries also supports business and trade by ensuring that cross-border workers and their employers are only liable to pay social security contributions in one state at a time…reports Asian Lite News.

The UK and Switzerland have signed a landmark agreement which is aimed to benefit citizens who live and work abroad in either country by ensuring they are able to receive healthcare cover and uprated state pensions, amongst other social security entitlements.

The agreement, which is expected to come into force from November this year, will also allow eligible individuals travelling to either country to access necessary healthcare when abroad using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or its UK successor, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

The Convention on Social Security Coordination, which benefits citizens of both countries also supports business and trade by ensuring that cross-border workers and their employers are only liable to pay social security contributions in one state at a time.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister, Nigel Adams who signed the agreement said: “I am pleased to be able to sign the UK-Switzerland Convention on Social Security Coordination. This will help give people certainty over their future incomes, ensure our citizens can continue to receive reciprocal healthcare and support business and trade links between our two countries.”

The agreement covers a wide range of social security benefits for eligible individuals. Those living abroad in either country will be able to receive healthcare, uprated pensions and other benefits. This includes healthcare cover for UK state pensioners, those exporting maternity allowance, and certain categories of cross-border workers.

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Food Lite Blogs Travel

Chocolate tasting tour to Swiss

The space also houses the world’s largest ‘Chocolate Fountain’ which stands tall at 9m at the entrance of the building, as well as the world’s largest Lindt chocolate shop…writes Puja Gupta.

Are you a chocolate fan? Did you know that your favourite chocolate brands like Nestle, Lindt, Toblerone are all Swiss? Chocolates from this beautifully diverse country are famous across the world for a few reasons. Here they are:

Sweet History

The nation has a long history of excellence in chocolate making that goes back 200 years when Francois-Louis Cailler opened the first mechanized chocolate factory in Vevey in 1819.

He put into practice all the tricks he’d learnt as a trainee in Ticino with Italian chocolatiers. That was the start of Switzerland’s love affair with chocolate that continues even today with local chocolatiers still using traditional recipes handed down from generations. Though the Swiss chocolate industry is founded on tradition, it is always looking to break new ground which is one of the secrets of its success. In 1887, after many attempts, the Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter, created the original formula for what was to become the first successful milk chocolate in the entire world. Peter called his product, “Gala” from the Greek, which means, “from the milk”. Before this, Chocolate was not considered a delicacy. It was more of a nourishing and medicinal food because of its bitter taste. Apart from this, the Swiss have taught confectioners several new and important techniques like tempering of chocolate and conching to texture and flavour the chocolate that creates a melt-in-the-mouth experience.

Passionate Chocolatiers

Last year, one of the oldest Swiss chocolatiers in the world — Lindt, launched the ‘Home of Chocolate’ in Zurich. This 65,000 sq. ft., three-floor, multi-functional museum space dedicated only to chocolate, is devoted to the history and production of one of Switzerland’s most delectable exports. The space also houses the world’s largest ‘Chocolate Fountain’ which stands tall at 9m at the entrance of the building, as well as the world’s largest Lindt chocolate shop, a Lindt cafe, and a Lindt Chocolateria for people who like to make their own chocolate creations. An ode to chocoholic’s world over, this chocolate haven is yet another reason why we all need to add Switzerland to our travel bucket lists!

Chocolate Tours

Across Switzerland, travellers can experience different chocolate tasting tours in Zurich, Bern and Basel. One of the more unique and fun chocolate tours takes guests through Lavaux. On this route, travellers can go on a hike to learn more about the history of this sweet temptation while also savouring the delights of Grand Cru pralines en-route! One can also head to the Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken to discover the art of chocolate making. The Club provides visitors with aprons, a chef’s hat and all the ingredients needed to step into the shoes of a real chocolatier and create a personalized Choco masterpiece!

In addition to the tours, the Montreux-Berner Oberland railway has dedicated a whole train to the world’s most irresistible temptation. The Chocolate train runs between Montreux and the Cailler-Nestle chocolate factory at Broc and is a ‘must-do’ for those who want to satiate the ‘sweet tooth’ as well as for the railway and travel enthusiasts. With such an abundance of chocolate available across the country, it is not difficult to imagine that the Swiss are the biggest consumers of chocolate than any other nation in the world. They eat a record 11kgs of chocolate a year! No wonder then that they are a happy lot. Chocolate is known to have extremely soothing properties and is a known brain stimulator. So, the best thing to take your mind off morbid news and thoughts these days would be to grab a bar of Swiss chocolate, uplift your spirit and relax!

In the meanwhile, until you plan your next holiday to Switzerland, you can tease your taste buds and take a virtual tour of the Lindt museum here:
https://youtu.be/e2fOpOsAAdo.

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Switzerland sends medical aid to India

The plane carrying the medical aid has reached New Delhi with oxygen concentrators & ventilators from Switzerland(Twitter)

600 oxygen concentrators and 50 respirators, donated by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid and the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, will be distributed to Indian hospitals…reports Asian Lite News

Switzerland has sent a cargo aircraft carrying medical equipment, including 600 oxygen concentrators and 50 respirators, to help alleviate supply shortages in India amid the country’s devastative second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an official statement, the Swiss government said that the aircraft which left the Zurich airport on Thursday for New Delhi, carried 13 tonnes of medical equipment worth close to 3 million Swiss francs ($3.28 million), reports Xinhua news agency.

The equipment, donated by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid and the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, will be distributed to Indian hospitals in coordination with the Indian Red Cross and the Ministry of Health.

The plane carrying the medical aid has reached New Delhi with oxygen concentrators & ventilators from Switzerland(Twitter)

The statement also mentioned that body bags were sent alongside oxygen concentrators and respirators.

On Friday, India again registered a record increase in the number of single-day Covid-19 cases.

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With 4,14,188 fresh Covid-19 cases recorded in the last 24 hour, the country’s overall infection tally now stood at 2,14,91,598, the second highest in the world after the US.

The plane carrying the medical aid has reached New Delhi with oxygen concentrators & ventilators from Switzerland(Twitter)

This is the the third time after May 1 that India has crossed the four lakh mark of active cases in last 24 hours.

On Thursday, the country reported 4,12,262 cases.

The death toll meanwhile increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 new fatalities.

Friday also marked the ninth consecutive day that over 3,000 casualties have been reported.

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