V K Singh visits Colombia to deepen bilateral ties

Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh has visited Colombia during which he held talks with the country's top leadership and underlined the need to further deepen the political and economic ties.

The three-day visit, which began from October 3, was the first Ministerial-level visit from India to Colombia following the formation of the new government under President Ivan Duque in August.

General Singh met the top leadership, including Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, who recalled his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 24, an official statement said Friday.

The Ministers comprehensively reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.

They stressed the need for further deepening of political ties, expansion of bilateral trade and investment in areas such as IT, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, agriculture, urban planning & development, renewable energy, Orange economy, rural development, startups and financial inclusion, the statement said.

The visit provided an opportunity to engage with the new Colombian government and further cement our mutually beneficial ties with Colombia, it said.

The Colombian leadership thanked India for its assistance in human resource development and appreciated the country's role in training Colombia's English language teachers.

In the last 4 years, over 100 Colombian school teachers have been trained in India.

India and Colombia noted that bilateral trade valued currently at USD1.5 billion offered excellent scope for further expansion.

General Singh also addressed the Indian community and briefed it about the developments that are taking place in India.

India and Colombia will be celebrating 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations next year.