New Delhi: Those were busy hours, but the time would go down the memory lane in contemporary geopolitical history on who embraced whom – maybe 20 years or even 50 years from now!
"It was truly great to finally meet you," tweeted new Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on meeting his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the COP26 conference.
There were a series of other such meetings and embraces, whispering in the air and leaders keeping hands on each other's shoulders.
In the Indian political context back home, people would say, a 'desi PM…. making waves and friends'. This was the first major meeting and Summits of world leaders – the first G-20 Summit at Rome hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
This was followed by the COP-26 meet in Glasgow, where British PM Boris Johnson played host and a jovial global leader – even forgetting some recent controversies and minor bitterness. Some snaps will be historical, and no guessing games here.
Of course, post-COVID-19 or, to put it acidly on major global power, post-Wuhan virus era, it's definitely a new era. A world where there is Big Time Resignation across companies and countries. It is an era, and the world is still clueless about how COVID-19 'originated' and why nobody is keen to do something to get at the root.
There are certainly important issues involved. India has accorded an invitation to Israel's new PM, Naftali Bennett, to visit India. The meeting between PM Modi and Bennett happened at Glasgow days after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Israel. The invitation to Naftali Bennett, observers say, made 'headlines in Israel' as it was understood as an indication from New Delhi that it was comfortable working with the new government within the Jewish state. Modi earlier enjoyed a fantastic personal rapport with Bennet's predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu.
There was a rare photograph of PM Modi keeping his two hands on the shoulders of Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as he arrived at the Scottish Exhibition Centre.
MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi could not miss the occasion, and so he shared the snap with an apt missive: "Together for our planet! PM @narendramodi received by UK PM @BorisJohnson and UN Secretary General @antonioguterres as he arrives at the Scottish Exhibition Centre to attend the World Leaders Summit of @COP26."
Similarly, the tweet from MEA spokesman Bagchi on PM Modi's meeting with British leader Boris Johnson too was apt and worded suitably. "Marching ahead on Roadmap 2030. PM @narendramodi met UK PM @BorisJohnson in Glasgow today. Congratulated him for successfully organising @COP26. (Both) Discussed cooperation in areas like green hydrogen, renewables & clean tech. Also exchanged views on economy, defence, P2P ties."
Needless to add, there were certain issues between Britain and India lately regarding the pandemic vaccines, but now all those are matters of the past. Later, at the COP26 event, the Prime Minister referred to the British Prime Minister as "my Friend Boris".
On his meeting with the Australian PM, Modi tweeted: "Never a dull moment when you are meeting the one and only @ScottMorrisonMP". He also thanked Morrison for Australia's decision to recognise India's COVAXIN.
PM Modi also Met Nepal counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba and tweeted: "It is important we keep working together for sustainable development. He (Deuba) rightly highlighted the threat of climate change to the Himalayan region."
