Bilateral Relations between India and Argentina

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Search 18th February, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Audio-Archive-Search.aspx

TOPIC: General studies 2:

• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora

India and Argentina

Groups: Both countries are members of G20, Group of 24 and Group of 77

In 1968, Indira Gandhi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Argentina.

India-Argentina relations are based on shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law, respect for human rights and territorial integrity of States. Relations between India and Argentina goes beyond trade. Both have extended their support to each other at various platforms of United Nation and multilateral bodies. India supported Argentina on the issue of sovereign debt servicing and holdout creditors.

India and Argentina will seek to further deepen and expand cooperation in wide range of sectors including renewable energy, nuclear energy, space and agriculture, aviation, mining (lithium, gold and copper), pharmaceuticals and automobiles.

Two memorandum of understandings (MoU) were signed in 2016 namely MoU on cooperation in the field of research and education in Homeopathic medicine and the second one is an MoU on establishment of an ‘academic chair’ in Ayurveda between Central Council on Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, Ministry of AYUSH and Fundacion de Salud Ayurveda Prema.

India’s Exports to Argentina: Major items of exports include organic chemicals, vehicles and auto-parts, lubricants, machinery, sound and image devices and garments.

India’s Imports from Argentina: Major items of imports are soybean oil, petroleum, copper, sunflower oil, leather, wool and ferroalloys.

With India–Argentina trade just touching $ 3 billion in the last ten years, leaders of both sides agree to increase their cooperation further to improve economic relations.

The two countries inked ten agreements including in the defence, agriculture, space, pharmaceuticals, Between Prasar Bharati and its Counterpart, Antarctic cooperation, Work plan on Agriculture, Cooperation in IT and Nuclear energy

Defence: The Framework Agreement in the Defence is very broad in nature and will be covering issues related to the exchange of officers, training of armed forces personnel and cooperation in joint ventures for military equipment and peacekeeping operations.” Argentina has increased its participation in peacekeeping operations as opposed to conventional combat. Both sides are likely to encourage their respective business enterprises to enter into arrangements for co-development and co-production of defence equipment in India, including the transfer of know-how and technologies.

Pharmaceutical: India is capable of supplying high quality generic drugs at affordable prices to meet the needs of Argentina’s pharmaceuticals market.

Space: Pursue cooperation in the field of Satellite Remote Sensing, including the exchange of data, the development of applications and calibration and validation experiments. Both sides agreed to further explore avenues of space collaboration including in such areas as satellite building and launch.

Fight Terrorism: India and Argentina released a ‘Special Declaration to Fight Terrorism’

Oil and Gas: The two countries are in talks for developing shale gas

Nuclear: The molybdenum plant being built in Mumbai by the Argentine company INVAP, with a target completion in 2020. Further, the sides also desired to enhance and explore cooperative ventures in the areas of nuclear power; other societal uses of nuclear energy in the health, agriculture sectors & for industrial applications; and Training and Capacity Building.

Tourism: According to the envoy, soft diplomacy of people-to-people contact is necessary to understand each other better. Such contacts help us to understand not only the differences but also the things that bring the two countries together. Of course, there are many levels and ways for this. Tourism, for example, has a huge potential. They are strongly working on promoting destinations in Argentina for Indian tourists.

With different type of landscapes and a good climate, Argentina can be a good destination for Bollywood. There will be a MoU inked in the field of joint film production. Once the project is finalized, the Marci government is expected to offer great tax incentives of more than 20 percent.

Pharmaceutical: To consolidate links and cooperation in pharmaceuticals, both sides highlighted the importance of concluding enabling instruments such as the MOU on Cooperation in the Field of Medical Products Regulation, which facilitates, among other things, the exchange of information on procedures for inspection and registration of pharmaceutical products and efficient communication channels between their counterpart institutions.

Technical Cooperation: Both sides agreed to deepen and strengthen the modalities of bilateral technical cooperation in matters of mutual interest, such as energy including renewable, ICT, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, higher education, mechanization and new technologies applied to agroindustry, animal and plant health, biotechnology, technological development for livestock production, ocean research, among others.

Agriculture: The Work Plan on Agro-Industrial cooperation will enhance the scope of agricultural cooperation between India and Argentina, including the exchange of technology to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and build climate resilience.

Renewable Energy: Both sides emphasized the importance of efforts towards enhancing the contribution of renewal energy in their energy mix and its contribution to mitigate climate change. India invited Argentina’s collaboration in meeting its target of 175 GW Power generation from renewable energy sources by 2022.

A Snapshot:

Location: Southern half of South America; Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south.

Capital: Buenos Aires

A founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, Mercosur, Union of South American Nations, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Organization of Ibero-American States.

Highest & Lowest points:

• Aconcagua in the Mendoza province, the highest point in the Southern and Western Hemispheres
• Laguna del Carbón, the lowest point, in the San Julián Great Depression Santa Cruz province – also the lowest point in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, and the seventh lowest point on Earth.