NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India and Paraguay stand united against terrorism and see strong potential for cooperation in combating shared challenges such as cybercrime, organised crime, and drug trafficking.
Modi made the remarks during delegation-level talks with President Santiago Peña Palacios, who arrived in Delhi earlier in the day on a three-day official visit — his first to India and only the second by a Paraguayan president.
“India and Paraguay stand united in the fight against terrorism. There is immense possibility of cooperation to fight against shared challenges such as cybercrime, organised crime, and drug trafficking,” said Modi, referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Calling Paraguay a key partner in Latin America, Modi highlighted growing collaboration in trade, especially in the automobile and pharmaceutical sectors. He identified new areas of partnership in digital technology, critical minerals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, railways, space, and economic cooperation.
“We see new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as digital technology, critical minerals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, railways, space and overall economic partnership,” Modi said.
He also emphasised the potential of enhancing New Delhi's preferential trade agreement with MERCOSUR — the South American trading bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. "We can work together to further expand it," he added.
Modi described Paraguay as an integral part of the Global South and stressed shared aspirations. “India and Paraguay are integral parts of the Global South. Our hopes, aspirations and challenges are similar. And this is why we can learn from each other's experiences to deal with these challenges effectively,” he said.
He also recalled India’s support to Paraguay during the Covid pandemic by supplying vaccines and reaffirmed India’s commitment to continued cooperation.