NEW DELHI, May 21: A Framework agreement on cooperation in Antarctica will be one of six agreements signed during the visit of Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, when he arrives for his first-ever visit to India on Sunday (May 25-28).

Fujimori, who is making this trip within weeks of the dramatic rescue of 76 international hostages from the residence of the Japanese ambassador in Lima, is said to have taken a ``strong and consistent stand against terrorism,'' secretary (west) in the Ministry of External Affairs Lalit Mansingh told journalists today.

``He stood firm and his stand was vindicated...and this is in line with our own thinking,''Mansingh added. He said Fujimori had acknowledged the importance of human rights, but had clubbed this with ``human rights for victims'' as well. ``Both countries have complete understanding on this issue,'' Mansingh said.

Apart from the agreement providing for exchange in scientific and technological research in Antarctica, the other five pacts on the cards are, agriculture, technical cooperation, tourism, regular consultations between the foreign ministries and exchanges between the Peruvian academy of diplomats and the Foreign Services Institute for IFS probationers in the Capital.

The Peruvian President's visit is the first-ever to South Asia (he will be coming here from Dhaka), and briefings by both sides in the last week clearly show that both sides are attempting to bridge the psychological distance between the two continents. It is being said that with the building of a strategic partnership with South Africa, India could use that country's ports and air links as stopovers on the long haul to Latin America.

Ministry officials also emphasised the economic richness of the South American market, especially pointing out the Peruvian example : the structural adjustment programme launched by Fujimori has meant that inflation has come down from 7000 per cent in 1990 to 11 per cent today.

But sources also acknowledged that despite the growth in bilateral trade (from $2 million in 1990 to $55 million today), the Latin American countries were focussed much more on the US and Europe, rather than at countries in South Asia.It is not uncommon to see the Africans and the Asians much more committed to alternative groupings like the Non-Aligned Movement, the analysts added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.