Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever admitted that he was unable to deliver a gift to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — a chocolate replica of New Delhi’s iconic India Gate — as it melted in the heat during the journey.
De Wever made the admission at a press conference with Modi in Delhi, where he arrived at the head of a delegation of Belgian defence industry executives to advance military-technical cooperation with India, Caliber.Az reports.
“I had actually planned to present to Prime Minister Modi a fitting gift, a sculpture of India Gate entirely made out of the best Belgian chocolate. But unlike the real India Gate, which has stood almost for a century, the chocolate version didn't even survive the journey to India.
Chocolate is excellent for diplomacy but not excellent for diplomatic travel. We noticed, but no worries, we have a backup in Belgium and one way or another I will get it to Prime Minister Modi in one piece. That's an ambition I leave India with today,” he said.
One of the characteristic properties of Belgian chocolate is its viscosity, which gives it a distinctive texture and taste but also makes it highly prone to melting and vulnerable to heat.
The India Gate is one of New Delhi’s main landmarks. Designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, it was inaugurated in 1931. The 42-meter-high triumphal arch was built in memory of Indian soldiers who died during World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. The granite monument bears the names of more than 13,000 soldiers.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
