Buenos Aires: India-Argentina ties are expected to get a major boost during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the South American nation starting Saturday, India time, Ajaneesh Kumar, the Indian Ambassador to Argentina, said in an exclusive interview with the IANS.
“This visit is important from a bilateral lens. Although PM Modi has been here before in 2018, it was for the G20 Summit. This bilateral meeting that’s happening between us will take place after five decades on an official level, where the Indian PM is visiting Argentina in this capacity,” said Kumar.
Argentina would be the third leg of PM Modi’s five-nation visit after Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). It will be followed by visits to Brazil (July 5-8) and Namibia (July 9).
PM Modi has travelled earlier to Argentina for a G20 meeting in 2018, but this will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM in the last 57 years and therefore remains historic.
As part of the programme, the Prime Minister would start the visit by paying respects at the statue of General Jose de San Martin, Argentina’s revered freedom fighter and national hero. The Prime Minister will then be accorded a ceremonial welcome and have delegation-level talks, followed by a lunch hosted in his honour by the country’s President Javier Milei.
Argentina is a strategic partner of India since 2019 and the two countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations last year.
“In the evening, while returning, he’ll take out a few minutes of his busy schedule and visit the Boca Stadium, because sports helps the people-to-people contact of both nations, and Argentina is known for its football across the world,” added Kumar.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both leaders will discuss subjects of economic and trade interest to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Quite significantly, India-Argentina bilateral trade has more than doubled in three years from 2019 to 2022, peaking at USD 6.4 billion in 2022. In 2021 and 2022, India was Argentina’s fourth largest trading partner.
Argentina is one of the prime suppliers of edible oils – soybean and sunflower – to India. In 2024, total annual bilateral trade between India and Argentina rose by 33 per cent to USD 5.23 billion, positioning India as Argentina’s fifth-largest trading partner and export destination.
(IANS)
