Your Excellency, President Boric,

Delegates from both the countries,

Friends from the media,

Namaskar! Hola!

This is President Boric's first visit to India. His strong sense of friendship toward India and his commitment to strengthen our relations is truly amazing. For this, I extend my heartfelt felicitations to him, and warmly welcome him and his distinguished delegation.

Friends,

Chile is a valued friend and partner country for India in Latin America. In our discussions today, we identified several new initiatives to further strengthen our cooperation in the coming decade.

We welcome the expansion of mutual trade and investment and we agree that there is untapped potential for further collaboration. Today, we have instructed our teams to initiate discussions on a mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Partnerships in the field of Critical Minerals will be emphasized. Efforts will be made to establish resilient supply and value chains. In agriculture, we will collaborate to enhance food security by leveraging each other's strengths.

India is ready to share its positive experience with Chile in the areas of Digital Public Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Railways, Space and more.

We see Chile as the gateway to Antarctica. We welcome today's agreement on the Letter of Intent to strengthen cooperation in this vital region.

India has been a trusted partner in supporting Chile's health security, and we have agreed to further strengthen this collaboration. It is a matter of joy that the people of Chile have adopted Yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle. The declaration of November 4 as National Yoga Day in Chile is truly inspiring. We also explored opportunities to enhance cooperation in Ayurveda and traditional medicine in Chile.

Increasing cooperation in the field of defence is a symbol of our deep mutual trust. In this area, we will move forward to create defence industrial manufacturing and supply chains as per each other's needs. We will increase cooperation between the agencies of both the countries to face common challenges like organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

Globally, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We are unanimous in saying that to face global challenges, reform of the United Nations Security Council and other institutions is necessary. Together we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability.

Friends,

Even though India and Chile are at different ends of the world map, separated by vast oceans, we still share some unique natural similarities.

The Himalayas of India and the Andes mountains of Chile have shaped the way of life in both countries for thousands of years. The waves of the Indian Ocean flow in India with the same energy with which the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile. Both the countries are not only connected by nature, but our cultures have also been close to each other, embracing this diversity.

The great Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate "Gabriela Mistral” found inspiration in the ideas of Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo Ghosh. Similarly, Chilean literature has been appreciated in India too. The growing interest among the Chilean people towards Indian films, cuisine, and classical dances is a living example of our cultural ties.

Today, around four thousand people of Indian origin, who consider Chile their home, are the custodians of our shared heritage. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to President Boric and his government for their care and support.

We welcome the consensus reached today on the cultural exchange program between the two countries. We also discussed simplification of the visa process between the two countries. We will continue to work towards increasing student exchanges between India and Chile.

Excellency,

Your visit has brought new energy and enthusiasm in our relations. This energy will give new impetus and direction to our bilateral relations as well as to our cooperation in the entire Latin American region.

I wish you a pleasant journey and stay in India.

Thank you very much!

Gracias!

DISCLAIMER - This is the approximate translation of Prime Minister's remarks. Original remarks were delivered in Hindi.

***

MJPS/SR