India Opens New Consulate in Belfast to Strengthen Ties and Support Diaspora:

On Friday, S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, pulled the curtain off a new Consulate General of India in Belfast, Northern Ireland, aimed at assisting the growing Indian populace in the region.

At the inauguration of the latest Indian consulate, the External Affairs Minister said that the steps taken are in the direction to strengthen the bilateral relations of India with the United Kingdom and also recognize the efforts of the Indian diaspora in the country.

According to the most recent census, Belfast, which is the capital of Northern Ireland, one of the territories of the United Kingdom, has an Indian origin population of nearly 10,000.

Jaishankar told reporters from PTI We saw in Belfast a meeting place, in many ways, between our UK policy and our European policies.

He explained, in having the most where could see, interestingly we were using it for open transactions with the UK and the EU together, which we expect to bring to an end soon.

The minister pointed out the great economic heritage of Northern Ireland due to its shipbuilding industry and the numerous Indian IT companies in the area.

“We see the economic feasibility. However, we want it to serve the interests of the Indian community,” he stated. “As we take pride, as the Prime Minister keeps saying, that this government has several firsts relating to the diaspora, including to the importance of the contribution of the diaspora.”

“We try to express it in many ways, like through easing services, providing a myriad of support services, and I’m very certain that is what this consulate will do,” he added.

The opening ceremony was combined with some political activities with the devolved administration such as meetings with deputy first minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelley and junior minister Aisling Reilly.

“Thanked them all for the support in getting our consulate off the ground. Talked about how to deepen India’s engagement with Northern Ireland, particularly in the areas of skills, Cyber, Technology, creative industry and manufacturing,” Jaishankar posted on X.

In another post, he wrote that the consulate’s services will be directed to the Indian community while looking forward to enhancing cooperation in commerce, information technology, business, and pedagogy.

The minister will inaugurate another Indian Consulate General in Manchester on Saturday to complete his week-long tour of the UK and Ireland.