Mumbai 05 October 2023: Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, on Wednesday, praised India’s efforts at the G20 Summit and termed the agreement reached as ‘remarkable’.
“The Delhi Summit achieved something that I doubt any other country could.” The British High Commissioner to India’s remarks came upon being asked about his and his country’s view of the G20 Summit.
“Getting an agreement during the Summit is a remarkable achievement and it tells you a lot about the capabilities of a country,” Alex Ellis said.
“India has set a standard,” he added. At the Mumbai conclave, Alex Ellis also spoke about UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy and said, “It was a pleasure to see them both.”
ALEX ELLIS ON KHALISTAN ROW
Commenting on the Khalistan issue, and an incident when the Indian High Commissioner was recently heckled in Scotland, Alex Ellis said, “It should not have happened.”
“We do not allow extremism in any form,” the UK envoy clarified.
Upon being asked about the British point of view, Ellis said, “Several people have time and again been arrested for their involvement in extremism. We have good communication with the Indian authorities.”
“Extremism is not an Indian problem, it is a British problem,” the UK envoy said. At the conclave, the British envoy also spoke about Indian students studying at universities in the UK and said, “The UK is very close behind the United States in attracting international students.”
Speaking about Neeraj Chopra, the UK envoy said the sportsman trains in the UK and India is continuing to attract the very best.”
“India will be one of the three defining countries,” Ellis said.
ALEX ELLIS SPEAKS HINDI
“The first Hindi word I learnt was “Koi Baat Nahi..”, Alex Ellis joked. On trying to get his ‘crooked Hindi back in shape, the UK envoy said.
“I do not practice Hindi enough, as this language requires work and I haven’t worked enough,” Ellis said.
The UK envoy also said he watched the Hindi movie ‘Sholay’ and a couple of Hindi series.
“I learnt some very interesting vocabulary from Gangs of Wasseypur,” Alex Ellis joked.
THE G20 SUMMIT
Following the G20 Summit hosted by New Delhi in September this year, Alex Ellis extended his greetings to India “for an ambitious, inclusive, determined and action-oriented G20 Presidency.”
“A huge thank you to all of those involved, to our Indian hosts who once again have shown Atithi Devo Bhava”, the British High Commissioner to India said. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in his address to G20 leaders, said, “The UK is stepping up and delivering on our climate commitments, both by decarbonising our own economy and supporting the world’s most vulnerable to deal with the impact of climate change.”
The two-day conclave, being held at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai, will resonate with discussions that range from politics and economics to entertainment and lifestyle.