Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that India and Chile have decided to take steps to create defence industrial manufacturing and supply chains as per each other’s needs and increase cooperation between their agencies to face challenges like organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.

”On the global front, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We agree that reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. Together, we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability,” he said at a media interaction after talks with visiting President of Chile Gabriel Boric.

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Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on his social media post ‘X’ that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions and welcomed the launch of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations to further deepen India-Chile ties in trade, science & technology, critical minerals, health, agriculture and climate change.

PM Modi said India and Chile may be on different shores on the world map, and there may be vast oceans separating them, but nature has connected them with unique similarities.

”The Himalayas of India and the Andes of Chile have shaped the course of life in both countries for thousands of years. The waves of the Indian Ocean flow into India with the same energy as the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile. Both countries are not only connected by nature, but our cultures have also remained close to each other by adopting this diversity,” he said.

The PM said the growing interest of the people of Chile in Indian films and classical dance is a living example of cultural relations between the two countries. ”We welcome the agreement reached today on the cultural exchange program between the two countries. We also discussed simplifying the visa process between the two countries. We will also continue to make efforts to increase student exchange between India and Chile,” he added.

In his remarks, the President of Chile said there are many opportunities to boost India-Chile relations. ”We want to consolidate Chile as a valued partner in sustainable technology and innovation, where we have a lot of linkages and potential with India. 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’ program. What India has done with its presence of Bollywood is tremendously important,” he added.

Mr Boric said Chile has supported India in its aspiration for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and also backed the proposal for reforming international organisations to make them more efficient.

He said the two countries are going to have CEPA and work together in a collaborative manner for mutual benefit.