Ambassador of India to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra along with his wife, Smt. Reeti Mishra paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Dr. Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland on 4 November.
Dublin. India’s Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra along with his wife Reeti Mishra paid a courtesy call on the President of Ireland, Dr. Michael D. Higgins on 4 November. This meeting was a special honor for Ambassador Mishra, as he has long been impressed by President Higgins’s scholarship, sensitivity and his philosophical poetry. Ambassador Mishra has also written a monograph in English titled “Echoes of Vedic Philosophy in the Poetry of President Michael D. Higgins.”
Ambassador Mishra expressed his heartfelt thanks to President Higgins for his time just days before the conclusion of his historic second term. He also expressed gratitude for the love and affection shown by Dr. Higgins and First Lady Sabina Higgins towards India and the Indian community. President Higgins had earlier issued a strong official statement condemning “the attacks on members of the Indian community” and saying that “we all feel deep gratitude to the Indian community in Ireland.”
During the meeting, Ambassador Mishra praised the able, insightful and visionary leadership of the President of Ireland, who has delivered a message of hope and inclusion globally in difficult and challenging times. He said that President Higgins’ ideas have inspired intellectuals and policy makers around the world and many of his messages are extremely relevant for India as well.
In the context of food security, Ambassador Mishra discussed President Higgins’ ideas to encourage traditional crop diversity and noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to promote millets and other millets in India and abroad. He also informed that due to the efforts of India, 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets.
Similarly, he recalled President Higgins’ historic role in promoting Irish culture and the Irish language. President Higgins, as Ireland’s first Minister of Culture, played a decisive role in getting the Irish language recognized as an official language of the European Union. Ambassador Mishra said that the promotion of Irish language in the country and its global acceptance is a source of inspiration for the efforts to promote Indian languages under India’s new National Education Policy.
President Higgins also stressed the role of philosophy, policies of social and economic inclusion and the need for global cooperation during the meeting. He told that in future he will continue to work in the field of food security, education and writing. Finally, President Higgins extended his warm blessings and good wishes to Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra and Mrs. Reeti Mishra and through them to the entire people of India.