El Salvador backs India for UNSC permanent seat

New Delhi, Mar 9: El Salvador today supported India's bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council while both countries agreed to enhance cooperation in various sectors including energy, information technology, culture and tourism.

El Salvador Foreign Minister Francisco Esteban Lainez, in India on a six-day visit, held discussions here with Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on a number of regional and global issues.

They agreed to work together in areas of common interest in multi-lateral fora including the United Nations and WTO.

The visiting Minister who was accompanied by a high-level delegation, also visited Bangalore and IT companies and held meetings with officers of the local government.

He also met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath.

During his meetings with Indian leaders, the two sides agreed to promote bilateral relations and cooperation in a variety of areas.

A Joint Communique issued after the talks between Mr Lainez and Mr Anand Sharma, El Salvador shared India's view on the urgent need for reforms of the United Nations.

''El Salvador supports a broad reform of the United Nations Security Council that should cover issues related to its organisation, procedures and membership, among others,'' the Joint Communique said.

The Salvadoran Foreign Minister expressed his country's support to India's aspiration to permanent membership of an enlarged UNSC which, he said, should include more permanent and non-permanent members allowing for a better regional representation and for a more democratic and representative United Nations Organ. The Indian side reiterated interest in continuing and expanding its development partnership with El Salvador as part of its commitment to South-South cooperation.

The External Affairs Minister told Mr Lainez that India would set up an Information Technology Training Centre in El Salvador to contribute to the human resource development of the country.

India also agreed to increase the annual ITEC training scholarships to the nationals of El Salvador from the existing ten to fifteen and expressed willingness to extend a Line of Credit (LOC) of 15 million dollars for further development of economic cooperation.

The two sides agreed for cooperation in Tourism, Education, Culture, Films and visual arts and exchange of cultural troupes, exhibitions, academic scholars and film festivals.

El Salvador stressed importance for cooperation in the Agriculture sector and expressed interest in the production of ethanol as a source of energy derived from sugar cane and of other bio-fuel production alternatives and also in implementing an exchange programme of experts in agro-industrial fields, particularly for the industrialisation of tropical fruits like mangoes, cashew nuts and coconuts, and for other areas where India has developed internationally recognized expertise.

The El Salvador side sought India's cooperation in projects for sustainable and productive horticulture, fisheries and Information Technology applied to the Salvadoran Agricultural Development Bank and also to hotel management. The Salvadoran Minister explained the significance of his country's initiative to insert the issue of International Cooperation for Middle Income Countries in the international agenda and to develop mechanisms to mobilise ODA for such group of countries.

During the meeting with Mr Kamal Nath, the two sides agreed on the need to enhance bilateral trade, which is much below potential.

They agreed to promote trade and encourage companies from both sides to explore each other's market for investment and joint ventures.

The El Salvador side agreed to India's request for facilitating business visas for Indian business visitors to their country.

The Indian side stressed the importance of the Central American Integration System (SICA), of which El Salvador is a member, and agreed to strengthen India-SICA cooperation.

El Salvador side agreed to facilitate India-SICA dialogue and hold the next ministerial meeting at the earliest.

UNI