Chile’s Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren is in New Delhi for a two-day official visit, aiming to strengthen ties and deepen bilateral cooperation between India and Chile. This visit, scheduled from August 27-29, includes participation in the second India-Chile Joint Commission Meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed Klaveren on their X account, and Jaishankar shared his opening remarks at the summit on the same platform, thanking Chile for their support of India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Beyond the Joint Commission Meeting, Klaveren, along with Chilean Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela, will attend the Chile-India Business (Agriculture) Summit in New Delhi. Following this, the delegation will depart for Mumbai to continue their visit. This visit comes just a day after Valenzuela engaged in high-level bilateral discussions with India’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ramnath Thakur. This meeting, held on Tuesday (August 27), focused on crucial areas of mutual interest, particularly in the agricultural sector. Key topics of discussion included the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agricultural Cooperation, the development of the Horticulture Action Plan, and the introduction of e-certification for phytosanitary certificates.
Chile is considered a key partner for India in the Latin American region. India has been actively seeking closer relationships with Latin American nations, primarily through bilateral trade arrangements. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India primarily imports extractive and agricultural products from Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) nations. In 2022, four major product groups – crude and petroleum products, pearls and precious stones/metals, vegetable oils, and ores – constituted nearly 86% of India’s total imports from the LAC region. Conversely, India predominantly exports manufactured commodities to LAC nations, including motor vehicles, chemical products, and organic chemicals, along with extractive products such as mineral fuels, mineral oils, aluminum, iron, and steel. In 2022, manufactured and extractive commodities collectively comprised nearly 78% of India’s total exports to the LAC region.
The focus on agricultural cooperation during Klaveren’s visit reflects the growing importance of this sector in bilateral relations. The implementation of the MoU on Agricultural Cooperation, the development of the Horticulture Action Plan, and the introduction of e-certification for phytosanitary certificates are all steps towards strengthening agricultural ties between the two nations. This collaborative approach aims to foster greater trade and investment opportunities in the agricultural sector, benefiting both India and Chile.
