New Delhi: As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on enhancing cooperation with countries that have traditionally not been a priority for India, Delhi and Santiago, represented by President Gabriel Boric Font, have agreed to work on a mutual trade agreement. They also plan to establish defense industrial manufacturing, create mutual supply chains, and strengthen cooperation between their agencies to tackle challenges such as organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism.
Officials said that India and Chile are set to expand their trade deal to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, making it the first Latin American country to have such a deal with New Delhi.
The 39-year-old Boric, a law graduate who has seen a meteoric rise in his career from law student to the country’s youngest president, was hosted by PM Modi at Hyderabad House in central Delhi
This was followed by an informal, closed-door conversation over lunch that lasted more than an hour. The discussion involved a small team of representatives from both sides, including Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Pramod Kumar Mishra (Principal Secretary to the PM), Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and members from the Prime Minister’s Office, along with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
The Sunday Guardian was also present during the luncheon.
Both PM Modi and President Boric were engaged in an intense one-on-one conversation happening in an informal setup during lunch, which was accompanied by a live performance of Indian classical music on the sitar.
The performance, sung by three talented artists, was greatly enjoyed by the dignitaries, especially Pm Modi.
Earlier, while sharing the details of the talks, PM Modi said that the two countries have agreed that there was a need to reform the United Nations Security Council.
“On the global front, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We agree that reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. Together, we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability,” he said at a media interaction after talks with visiting President of Chile Gabriel Boric.
PM Modi said India and Chile may be on different shores on the world map, and there may be vast oceans separating them, but nature has connected them with unique similarities.
”The Himalayas of India and the Andes of Chile have shaped the course of life in both countries for thousands of years. The waves of the Indian Ocean flow into India with the same energy as the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile. Both countries are not only connected by nature, but our cultures have also remained close to each other by adopting this diversity,” he said.
The PM said the growing interest of the people of Chile in Indian films and classical dance is a living example of cultural relations between the two countries. ”We welcome the agreement reached today on the cultural exchange program between the two countries. We also discussed simplifying the visa process between the two countries. We will also continue to make efforts to increase student
President Boric while interacting with the media said there are many opportunities to boost India-Chile relations. ”We want to consolidate Chile as a valued partner in sustainable technology and innovation, where we have a lot of linkages and potential with India. We are working together to bring India’s important audio-visual industry to our country, which we are going to represent with the ‘Shoot in Chile’ program. What India has done with its presence of Bollywood is tremendously important,” he added.
He asserted that Chile has supported India in its aspiration for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and also backed the proposal for reforming international organisations to make them more efficient.
Official sources said that apart from these issues, talks were also held on rare earth minerals and cooperation in the field of exploration in the Antarctic which is located near to Chile.
Both nations have decided to cooperate to ensure food security by leveraging each other’s capabilities in the agriculture sector.
India told Chile that it shares its positive experience in areas such as digital public infrastructure, renewable energy, railways, space, and other sectors.
Speaking to the Sunday Guardian , Ignacio Fernández Ruiz , the Director General of ‘ProChile’m which is the Chilean government agency, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for promoting exports of Chilean goods and services, as well as attracting foreign investment and promoting tourism, said that there was immense scope in the field of trade between the two countries. “Both countries will benefit immensely with an increase in trade relations, India is a big country and we want to be a part of the growth story. Chile wants people from India to come, as tourists, to make movies,” he said.
As of the fiscal year 2023-2024, trade between India and Chile has shown significant growth. According to data from India’s Department of Commerce, India’s exports to Chile reached approximately US$1.18 billion, marking a 1.42% increase from the previous fiscal year. During the same period, imports from Chile into India amounted to about US$1.51 billion, reflecting a 5.45% year-on-year growth