India-EU Summit postponed: PM Modi cancels Brussels visit amid rise in Coronavirus cases

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brussels has been rescheduled in wake of the fast-spreading Coronavirus disease which has killed more than 3,000 people globally, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday.

Responding to questions about the India-EU Summit, official MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told media persons "It has been decided that delegates from the respective countries should not travel in each other’s countries owing to the recent coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak."

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Raveesh Kumar also said the Summit will be rescheduled to a mutually convenient date which is yet to be decided. The India-EU Summit was previously scheduled to take place at the European Union office in Brussels on March 13.

On Wednesday, 10 new cases of coronavirus were reported from Brussels taking the total number of cases in Belgium to 23. India has confirmed 30 cases of Coronavirus as of March 5.

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The MEA spokesperson stated that the decision has been taken in the spirit of close cooperation between the EU and India, who share the same concerns and commitment to global health and hope that the outbreak is contained soon.

Raveh Kumar, however, said that PM Modi’s visit to Bangladesh will take place as scheduled. 

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