 "India, Paraguay ‘stand united’ against terrorism: PM Modi after meeting visiting President Pena")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Monday that India and Paraguay are united in their fight against terrorism and that there is a great deal of possibility for cooperation in tackling common challenges like drug trafficking and cybercrime.
The comments were made by Modi during delegation-level discussions with Santiago Pena Palacios, the president of Paraguay.
Pena, who is visiting India for three days to look into ways to increase general cooperation, landed in Delhi this morning.
It is just the second time a South American president has travelled to India, and it is his first visit.
Paraguay is one of India’s most significant commercial partners in Latin America. There are several Indian businesses operating in Paraguay in the automotive and medicinal industries.
“We see new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as digital technology, critical minerals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, railways, space and overall economic partnership,” Modi said.
The prime minister also referred to New Delhi’s preferential trade arrangement with South American trading bloc MERCOSUR.
“We can work together to further expand it,” he said.
MERCOSUR or Common Market of the South is a trading bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The two leaders also deliberated on ways to combat terrorism against the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“India and Paraguay stand united in the fight against terrorism. There is immense possibility of cooperation to fight against shared challenges such as cybercrime, organised crime, and drug trafficking,” Modi said.
The prime minister described Paraguay as an integral part of the Global South.
“India and Paraguay are integral parts of the Global South. Our hopes, aspirations and challenges are similar. And this is why we can learn from each other’s experiences to deal with these challenges effectively,” he said.
“We are pleased that India could extend support to Paraguay by sharing its vaccines during the Covid pandemic. We look forward to continuing this spirit of cooperation by sharing more of our capabilities,” he added.
India and Paraguay established diplomatic relations on 13 September 1961, cultivating warm and friendly ties between the two nations.
Both countries have since developed cooperation in various sectors, including trade, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals and information technology.
The two countries share common views on various international issues, including UN reforms, climate change, renewable energy and combating terrorism, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
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