As we interacted with Ambassador Kugener, we learnt that it was in the wine-producing town of Schengen in Luxembourg that borders Germany and France that the Schengen Agreement was signed back in 1985. This, of course, ushered in the Schengen Visa for travelling to countries within the European Union. Arcelor-Mittal that has an obvious Indian link is headquartered in Luxembourg since the merger of Arcelor and Mittal Steel in 2006. Paul Wurth, the engineering firm set up in 1870 in Luxembourg, is based in India for a quarter century now.

Ambassador Kugener mentions in his interview that more Indians are now setting out for this picturesque country than ever before. There was a 36 per cent rise in tourist and business visa applications in 2018 as compared to 2017. On the tourism front he says, “Luxembourg City has been marked by centuries of history, shaped by tradition and modernity in natural and green surroundings. The old city and its fortress around the Grand Ducal Palace have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1994. The remains of centuries-old fortifications are among the many tourist attractions in Europe, called the Casemates with 17 km underground tunnels.”

There is also a 24-year-old tryst that Luxembourg has had with the well-known sculptor-artist Amar Nath Sehgal who went to this northern European nation in 1979 and lived there till 2004. He had been invited by Luxembourg to set up his studio. Luxembourg’s amber, copper and gold hues gently seeped into his grey watercolors and his paintings would often find themselves on the cover of the cultural section of the daily LuxemburgerWort. There are stories of other interests which you will find in the magazine. We do hope that you’re able to enjoy what you read.

(sayantanc@gmail.com)