External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday complimented all government employees involved in the timely issuance of passports to citizens despite the covid pandemic.

Addressing an event to mark 'Passport Seva Divas', Jaishankar particularly mentioned maintenance of ''high standards'' of passport services by the Ministry of External Affairs and other agencies during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.  'Notwithstanding the pandemic, we continue to deliver passports in a timely manner and hope to reach the pre-pandemic level as soon as possible, he said.

The Minister said the ministry has integrated 174 Indian embassies and consulates abroad with the passport service program. ''I am happy that continuing with our global outreach exercise, the ministry has integrated 174 embassies and consulates abroad with the passport Seva program enabling a centralized passport issuance system for our citizens in India and expats abroad. We should complete the mission integration process on priority,'' he said. He also remembered some of the staff members in the central passport organization lost their battle against COVID-19 and in a message he conveyed his heartfelt condolences to their families who lost lives in the pandemic.

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