Kananaskis (Canada), June 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on Tuesday “strengthened” the relationship between the two countries of the Global South and explored how to increase cooperation between the two countries when they met on the sidelines of the G7 meeting here.
Sheinbaum said on social media platform X that during the meeting, “we strengthened our relationship.”
“Investments in scientific and technological development” are the drivers of cooperation, she said in her X post in Spanish.
PM Modi said on X, “We both see immense potential in India-Mexico ties growing even stronger in the times to come, especially in sectors like agriculture, semiconductors, critical minerals, healthcare and more. We also talked about ways to enhance people-to-people ties.”
Calling it a “good meeting”, he added that he “personally congratulated her on her historic electoral win, becoming the first female Mexican President in two centuries”.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X that they “discussed avenues to further deepen India-Mexico cooperation in trade, pharmaceuticals, science and technology, digital innovation and (they) shared perspectives on key global and regional issues, including priorities of the Global South”.
This was the first meeting between PM Modi and Sheinbaum, who was elected Mexico’s President last year.
PM Modi posted on X that he also met with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
There was a big boost to relations between Mexico and India when PM Modi visited Mexico in 2016 and they agreed to raise their diplomatic ties from a “Privileged Partnership” to a “Strategic Partnership”.
The growing opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector, where India can play an important role in supplying and producing affordable quality medicines and other pharmaceutical products, as also in agricultural and holistic health, figured prominently in the discussions between PM Modi and President Sheinbaum.
The Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $8.6 billion in 2023.
Mexico serves as one of the main trade gateways to Latin America.
An important milestone was reached between India and Mexico in the field of science and technology when a memorandum of understanding between India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) was signed when Marcelo Ebrard visited New Delhi in 2023 when he was the Foreign Affairs Secretary.
President Sheinbaum was appreciative of India’s strides in technology, innovation and digital public infrastructure and expressed desire for cooperation with India in these areas.
Prime Minister Modi underlined that the two countries should explore collaboration in the fields of semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum and critical minerals.
The leaders also noted upcoming engagements between the think-tank communities of the two sides, and the vibrant cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries, which will promote tourism flows as well.
Prime Minister also extended an invitation to President Sheinbaum to visit India.
–IANS
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