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Paraguay soon to set up mission in New Delhi
India has backed Paraguay's proposal to open an embassy and agreed to facilitate the setting up of the mission.
India has backed Paraguay's proposal to open an embassy in New Delhi and agreed to facilitate the setting up of the mission.
Paraguay's Foreign Minister Leila Rachid made the proposal to her Indian counterpart K. Natwar Singh during a visit to India that ended Tuesday.
Rachid was here to participate in the G-20 meeting and hold talks on bilateral issues.
The Indian delegation to the bilateral talks, led by Minister of State for External Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh, offered help to provide training in various areas of interest to Paraguay, including diplomacy and English language, under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.
The two sides welcomed the conclusion of a preferential trade agreement between India and Latin American trading bloc Mercosur (Spanish for Common Southern Market) and agreed to promote trade and business between the two sides, said a statement issued by India's external affairs ministry.
This agreement is expected to boost bilateral trade from $2 billion to over $25 billion in a few years.
The Paraguayan delegation also held meetings with Indian industry and business leaders to promote cooperation in railways, IT, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
India expressed its willingness to extend cooperation and sign agreements in areas like science and technology, avoidance of double taxation, promotion and protection of investment and extradition.
The two countries also agreed to promote exchanges between academics and universities. The Indian side handed over a draft cultural agreement for consideration by Paraguay.
India also accepted the invitation to hold the next consultation meeting in Paraguay soon.
