New Delhi, 1 April

Chile President Gabriel Boric during his visit to India emphasised the growing potential of expanding bilateral ties between the two countries. In a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, Boric highlighted opportunities for enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, and shared commitment to tackle global challenges such as climate change and sustainability.

Reflecting on the ongoing and growing ties between India and Chile, he said, "I would like to thank the Prime Minister for extending this invitation to me during the G20 in Rio de Janeiro last November, where we were invited, it was a fruitful nature of our engagement. We are grateful for the potential of our relationship with India and the possibilities that we have not yet explored."

In an effort to strengthen the seven-decade-old relationship between the two countries, President Boric said, "Today, we have come to strengthen our seven decades of relations with India, building on earlier visits with Chile. I have the honor of being the third President to visit India after 16 years." 

Boric emphasized the enormous opportunities that come in strengthening bilateral relations between Chile and India. At the press meet, he acknowledged the importance of enhancing cooperation in various fields, focusing on sustainable technology and innovation. “Without a doubt, there are many opportunities to boost our bilateral relations. We want to strengthen Chile as a valuable partner in sustainable technology and innovation, where we have great ties and potential with India,” he added.

He highlighted the importance of India's growing role in the global arena and acknowledged that India has now become Chile's seventh largest trading partner, a position that invites further cooperation.

During the meeting, President Boric and Prime Minister Modi discussed several areas of cooperation, particularly in the areas of commercial relations, investments and critical mineral industry. Boric noted the importance of minerals such as lithium and copper in the global economic and environmental scenario, highlighting their role in combating climate change. 

He informed, “In our meetings, we have talked about our commercial relations, the potential for investment, the importance of critical minerals in Chile which are turning into a relevant topic, and to confront global climate change, marking the present as our way forward, and the future of this planet towards sustainability.” 

Boric also pointed to exciting developments in the audio-visual sector, saying, "We are working together to bring India's important audio-visual industry to our country, which we are going to represent with the 'Shoot in Chile' event. What India has done with the presence of Bollywood is extremely important." 

Finally, President Boric spoke of the many opportunities available to deepen bilateral relations, stressing that the focus is not only on economic relations but also on the cultural and spiritual ties between the two countries. "It's not just the commercial part, but also the cultural aspect - we have talked about spirituality, about how this world needs more than money - but as a civilisation that has such a long continuity, India can be very useful to all of us," he said