Irish envoy Kevin Kelly sees expansion of relationship with India

Kelly said India and Ireland share a 'great relationship'.

"We have a great relationship with India. We have a proud history of the anti-colonial struggle. The Great Indian Constitution actually borrows from the Irish constitution. We have a long history of engagement," Kelly told WION.

Speaking on the Irish-India collaboration during the upcoming Durga Puja, the envoy said a joint Irish-India Durga Pandal can be seen in Kolkata from October 1.

Acknowledging the contribution of Indian community members living in Ireland, which makes up about 2 percent of the total population, the ambassador said: "They play a positive role. After graduation, they have a two-year work permit."

"We are proud of the engagement of the Indian diaspora," he told the Indian news channel.

India opened it’s Embassy in Dublin in 1951. The Irish Embassy in New Delhi was opened in 1964 (before Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing), and Honorary Consulates in Mumbai and Bengaluru in 1976 and 2000 respectively.

Honorary Consulates were established in Chennai and Kolkata in 2010 and 2017.

The Irish Government opened a full-fledged Consulate General in Mumbai in April 2019, as part of its Asia-Pacific outreach policy.