EMPHASIZING the importance of Central American integration through SICA and its interest to cooperate and hold regular dialogues with the foreign ministers of Central America, India has officially opened its embassy in Guatemala and is going to have meetings in Ecuador on Monday.
E Ahamed, minister of state for external affairs, accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior officers met vice-foreign minister Carlos Ra?l Morales of Guatemala and discussed wide ranging bilateral issues as well as sought new investment opportunities in the country. Ahamed conveyed government?s decision to provide a credit line of $ 10 million for development projects in Guatemala, with emphasis on oil and railways sectors.
Furthermore, among the areas for cooperation include agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology and services. Senior officers told FE that that Ahamed also informed about the possibility of increasing the annual number of Technological and Economic Cooperation of India (ITEC) scholarships for Guatemalan nationals.
The issue of cooperation in Information Technology was also taken up for consideration by the Government of India Project for Expansion and Upgrading Technology Centre which operates at the Faculty of Engineering, University San Carlos de Guatemala.
The university was installed and equipped by the Indian Government in 2006 and subsequently handed over to Guatemala in 2008.
The discussions between the two leaders also touched pon the possibility of cooperation in technology for the production of ethanol and biofuels, which aims to contribute to the sustainable use of renewable sources in the oil sub-sector.
On Monday, Ahamed, in an effort to deepen the economic relationship, will also have meetings with his Ecuador counterpart deputy minister of foreign affairs, Kintto Lucas. He will discuss bilateral and multilateral issues related to political, social, cultural, educational, advocacy and technical cooperation, besides knowledge transfer in information technologies.
Both countries are keen to attract investment and trade. Public and private companies in India are looking forward to investing in various projects in Ecuador.
The visiting minister will also hold a meeting with vice president Lenin Moreno, minister of defence and foreign minister Javier Ponce Ricardo Pati?o.
