HIGH-LEVEL INTERACTION AND EXCHANGE OF DELEGATIONS:
i) A trade delegation led by Commerce Secretary visited Argentina, Brazil and Peru in November 1997. The delegation had meetings with various Government officials, one-to-one business meetings, and discussions with the chambers/apex bodies.
ii) An Exclusive Indian Exhibition was organised by ITPO in Mexico City from March 3-9, 1998. About 135 Indian Companies participated in the Exhibition. A seminar on the opportunities for commercial and economic cooperation between India and Mexico was also organised by the Exim Bank and the Mexican Bank of Foreign Trade(BANCOMEXT).
iii) In May, 1998, the President of India, Shri K.R.Narayanan visited Peru and Brazil, the first Indian President to have visited the two South American countries, and held talks on a wide range of subjects with the leaders of these countries.
iv) In February, 1999, the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Trinidad & Tobago en route to Jamaica for the Ninth G-15 Summit.
v) The Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jose Armando Guerra Menchero visited India in November 1999 in connection with foreign office level consultations. He also called on the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Shri Omar Abdullah during the visit.
vi) The Vice President of Uruguay Dr. Licenciado Hugo Fernandez Faingold accompanied by a large delegation visited India in December, 1999 and a meeting with him and a seminar on “Uruguay and Mercosur” was organised by CII on 7th December 1999. An MOU was signed by CII with its counterpart Industry Association. An agreement between FICCI/ASSOCHAM with its counterpart Trade Organisation was also signed for setting up a Joint Business Council.
vii) A trade delegation led by the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Shri Omar Abdullah visited Brazil, Argentina and Chile in May 2000 with a view to increasing trade with Latin American countries.
viii) The Health Minster of Brazil alongwith a business delegation has visited India in July 2000 and was impressed about the facilities available here.
ix) The Governor of Santa Catalina, Brazil visited India in November 2000. The Governor accompanying delegation was impressed by India’s development in the field of IT and drugs & pharmaceuticals.
x) The Departmental store delegation from Brazil visited India in November 2000. BSMs were arranged in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
xi) Second CII delegation led by Chairman, Latin America Committee, and CII visited Brazil, Mexico & Chile in November 2000.
xii) Export awards for the year 1998-99 were conferred on leading exporters to Latin America in November 2000.
xiii) The Governor of Pernambuco, Brazil alongwith an official delegation visited India in May 2001.
xiv) The Jamaican Minister of Industry, Commerce & Technology visited India in October 2001.
xv) The Minister for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Relations of Brazil visited India w.e.f. 4th April to 9th April 2002 accompanying a big delegation of official and business delegates. During the visit, the first meeting of IBCC was held at New Delhi on 8th April 2002.
xvi) The President of Brazil, Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was the Guest of Honour at the occasion of Republic Day of India, 26th January 2004. During his visit the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between India and MERCOSUR was signed.
xvii) Joint Secretary (LAC), Department of Commerce visited Honduras, Suriname and Mexico in February 2005 as a member of a delegation led by Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs. During the visit trade matters with Central American and the Caribbean region and Mexico were discussed.
xviii) The First India-CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Economic Forum was organized by Indian High Commission in Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) during August 5-16, 2005. During the Forum a Ministerial Dialogue was held between the Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri E V K S Elangovan, and Ministers of Trade/Economy of CARICOM countries and Presidents of apex Chambers of Commerce & Industry. The Ministerial Dialogue was followed by Workshop on special areas of interests namely ICT, Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals, Tourism and SMEs, and a Multi-product Trade Expo of Indian products.
xix) Minster of State for Commerce & Industry, Shri E V K S Elangovan visited Mexico to inaugurate Indian Engineering Exhibition (INDEE) 2005, organized by Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) during October 12-14, 2005. The Exhibition was one of the most important exhibitions of Indian products in Latin America. During the visit the Minister discussed the bilateral trade matters with the Mexican Vice Minster for Economy, Ms Rocio Ruiz Chavez. He also had a meeting with the Mexican Vice Minster for Foreign Affairs, Ms Maria de Lourdes Aranda Bezaury.
xx) A delegation led by Minister of State for External affairs, Shri Anand Sharma, visited Santiago (Chile) to participate in a meeting of Indian Ambassadors/Consulate General to Latin America, and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to participate in the IBSA meeting, during March 26-30, 2006. Joint Secretary (LAC) represented Department of Commerce in the delegation.
xxi) Commerce Minister of Peru, Mr. Alfredo Ferrero, visited India from June 5 to 7, 2006. During his visit in India, the Peruvian Minister had a meeting with our Minster of Commerce & Industry, wherein various bilateral trade opportunities were discussed. The possibility of a PTA between India and Peru was also discussed in the meeting.