Of shared ties, solidarity & the taste of Europe

In the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Europe Day reception of EU diplomats and friends of Europe was an evening of brief relief. The event was held to commemorate 75 years of the signing of Schuman Declaration – an accord to secure peace in post-war Europe.

‘Pahalgam attack was senseless and horrendous’
The gathering observed a minute of silence, honouring the memory of the victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. EU Ambassador Hervé Delphin said, “The dramatic events that took place on April 22 in the beautiful valley of Pahalgam oblige us all to remember what happened – it was a senseless and horrendous terrorist attack. The EU stands with India in this ordeal. Terrorism cannot be justified and every state has the duty and the right to protect their citizens from the acts of terror.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was the chief guest at the event, said, “We are gathered here at the time when India has firmly confronted the challenge of terrorism. This is a shared threat for which there must be zero tolerance. I thank those who have expressed solidarity and recognised the need for a resolute response.”

Focus on flavours of Europe
The culinary delights of EU member nations took centre stage at the Europe Day reception, with pretzels from Germany, Neapolitan pizza from Italy, and Belgian fries and waffles gracing every plate. Guests sampled everything from Cyprus’ halloumi-pita bites and Lithuanian cold soup to Maltese pastizzi and Sweden’s hasselback potatoes with sour cream – flavours from 23 of the 27 member states. It was a true taste of EU diversity, with flavour in every bite.

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