Parliament Question: Relations with South American Countries

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5680 ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026 RELATIONS WITH SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES 5680. MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:- (a) the current status of India’s bilateral relations with countries in Latin America and South America, including recent high-level visits, agreements and strategic partnerships; (b) India’s trade and investment engagements with major Latin American and South American economies along with the details of key sectors and growth trends during the last three years; (c) the initiatives taken by the Government to strengthen cultural, educational and people-to-people ties with nations in the Latin American and South American regions; (d) the role of multitateral frameworks and India’s engagement with regional organisations in the two regions, such as CELAC, Mercosur and others; and 1(e) the steps being taken to further enhance cooperation in areas such as energy, technology, agriculture, defence, climate action and sustainable development with Latin American and South American countries? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) India shares warm and friendly relations with Latin American countries and has developed strong collaboration with them across political, economic, and cultural spheres. The partnership is marked by several high-level visits, including incoming visits by the Presidents/Prime Ministers of Chile, Paraguay, Jamaica and Brazil and Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi’s visits to Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina and Brazil, as well as multiple ministerial-level exchanges. India elevated its diplomatic relations to the level of Strategic Partnership with Brazil in 2006 and with Argentina in 2019. The focus areas of cooperation include trade and investment, digital technology and AI, health, education, critical minerals, space, nuclear energy, green energy, science and technology, training and capacity building, infrastructure development and diaspora engagement. In recent years, 2more than 50 MoUs have been signed between India and various Latin American countries. (b) India’s total bilateral trade with the region stood at USD 47.81 billion (Exports- 20.92 bn; Imports- 26.90 bn) in 2024-25, and USD 47.79 billion (Exports- 18.11 bn; Imports- 29.68 bn) in 2025-26 (April-January). However, given the size of both markets, there remains considerable potential to expand trade and investment, especially in agriculture, organic chemicals, agrochemicals, energy and petroleum products, minerals and ores, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, digital technologies, auto parts, textiles, aerospace, iron and steel products. Institutional frameworks such as the Joint Trade Committees with Argentina and the Trade Monitoring Mechanism with Brazil are contributing to the strengthening of trade ties. India is negotiating expansion of the PTA with MERCOSUR, a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Chile and a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Peru to boost trade and investment flows. (c) India shares deep-rooted cultural ties and strong people-to-people connections with Latin American countries. Several initiatives have been undertaken to further enhance these bonds, including the signing of cultural exchange agreements with countries such as Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia. The Indian Council 3for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has established cultural centres in Brazil, Guyana, Mexico, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago where regular activities such as Yoga classes, Indian music and dance training, and courses in Hindi and Sanskrit are conducted. All Indian Missions in the region actively celebrate International Day of Yoga. India is also negotiating agreements with Latin American countries for the recognition of Ayurveda. In addition, scholarships under ICCR schemes and capacity-building opportunities through the ITEC programme are offered. Indian Missions regularly celebrate Indian festivals and organize a wide range of cultural activities, including Indian film festivals, dance and music performances, exhibitions, and academic outreach programmes at universities and cultural institutions across the region. (d) India actively collaborates with Latin American countries at regional and multilateral levels and shares strong and cordial relations across global platforms. Several countries have extended their support for India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council. Countries in the region have also backed India’s candidature in various UN bodies and have also joined in India-led international initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Global Bio-Fuel Alliance (GBA) and International 4Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). India maintains regular engagement with key regional groupings such as CARICOM, CELAC, SICA and MERCOSUR. Hon’ble Prime Minister co-chaired the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in November 2024 in Georgetown, Guyana. External Affairs Minister Co- Chaired India-CELAC and India-SICA (Central American Integration System) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York on 25th September 2025. India also continues to deepen its engagement with MERCOSUR countries. (e) India is actively working to enhance its engagement with Latin American countries across key domains such as energy, technology, agriculture, defence, climate action, and sustainable development. Meetings under key bilateral mechanisms, including Joint Commission Meetings (JCM) and Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), are held regularly to explore opportunities for cooperation in these and other sectors. In the defence sector, India has signed MoUs with several countries in the region. It is actively promoting the export of defence equipment to countries in the region. India also extends ITEC training slots to personnel from these countries. In addition, regular visits and exchanges of defence delegations from India further contribute to strengthening institutional linkages and enhancing mutual 5understanding. On the technological front, India is negotiating India STACK agreement with multiple countries, and expanding space cooperation through ISRO’s partnerships with regional counterparts. In the area of sustainable development, India has implemented several development partnership projects across the region through Lines of Credit, grants, and capacity-building initiatives, particularly in infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, and community development. ***** [Note: Latin American countries include South American countries.] 6