NEW DELHI:Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora and Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi on the margins of the Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday and discussed the enhancement of cooperation in areas such as trade, critical minerals, defence, healthcare and digital technology.
Modi described his meeting with Catacora as fruitful in a social media post and said Bolivia is a “valued partner in Latin America”. He added, “We talked about the need for improving and diversifying trade linkages on a priority basis. We discussed how we can collaborate in sectors such as digital technology, critical minerals, healthcare, space and more.”
During his meeting with Orsi, Modi said close ties between India and Uruguay are important for the Global South. “India is committed to doing everything possible to further deepen relations with Uruguay. In this context, we discussed how to boost cooperation in areas like trade, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, technology, defence and more,” he said in a separate social media post.
The external affairs ministry said the possibility of cooperation in critical minerals was an area of focus at the meeting between Modi and Catacora. “Both leaders recognised the potential for enhanced collaboration in the critical minerals sector and developing sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships in the field,” the ministry said.
Modi expressed solidarity with the people of Bolivia in the wake of severe flooding in La Paz and other parts of the country in March-April.
{{/usCountry}}Modi expressed solidarity with the people of Bolivia in the wake of severe flooding in La Paz and other parts of the country in March-April.
{{/usCountry}}Modi and Orsi reviewed cooperation in digital technology, ICT, digital public infrastructure, defence, railways, health and pharmaceuticals, agriculture and energy. “A key area of discussion was strengthening bilateral trade and investment. Both sides expressed interest in the expansion of the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement, aiming to unlock greater economic potential and trade complementarities,” the ministry said.
Modi expressed gratitude to Orsi for the strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack and appreciated Uruguay’s solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism.
People familiar with the matter said an enhanced outreach to Latin America was part of Modi’s bilateral engagements on the margins of the Brics Summit in Brazil. Besides holding separate meetings with leaders of Cuba, Bolivia and Uruguay, Modi is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday.
The presidents of Chile and Paraguay visited India earlier this year and Modi travelled to Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina as part of his ongoing five-nation tour.