India set to take a step closer to central America

India's relations with SICA countries are to receive a new impetus.

Trade, commerce, investments and other bilateral issues top the agenda of senior officials from the ministry of external affairs (MEA), heading to the region for the first foreign office consultation ahead of the India-SICA foreign ministers' and Caribbean Community meeting later this year.

Both India as well as the eight Central American countries comprising the SICA are keen on strengthening relations in trade, economy and information technology and against climate change and the looming global food crisis.

Senior officials told FE: "Though SICA is a small group of countries, but it could prove to be very critical to India as it offered free exchange of trade with other countries in the US and also with European nations." SICA includes seven countries: Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize and El Salvador, and Dominican Republic is an associate member of the grouping.

Ahead of the visit, talking to FE from Costa Rica, Anabel Gonalez, minister of foreign trade, Costa Rica, said: " Costa Rica offers India an important investment platform under preferential condition to access different markets, as well as a great opportunity to partner in different areas of the service sector. In March 2012, our ministry of foreign trade has presented to Indian authorities two proposals: a Framework Agreement to Promote Economic Cooperation and an Agreement for the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investment."

She added: "Our country can also offer a wide variety of high quality agricultural and industrial goods, such as coffee, rum, beer, sugar, juices, ethanol, among others,"the Costa Rican minister added. A high-level delegation, headed by secretary (west) M Ganapthi and director general of LAC countries , Dammu Ravi, is visiting Costa Rica (August 20) El salvador (August 21), and Dominican Republic (August 23).

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