Jaishankar holds extensive talks with Colombian foreign minister Marta Lucia Ramirez

New Delhi, Oct 2: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held comprehensive talks with his Colombian counterpart Marta Lucia Ramirez in the fields of health and science and technology. The Vice President of Colombia is on a three-day tour to India which started on Friday.

Marta Lucia Ramirez is in India with a focus on boosting bilateral ties in areas of health, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and space with a 48-member delegation of experts and officials in the fields of health and science and technology.

"The leaders held a comprehensive dialogue covering sectors such as health, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and space. Regional and international issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

There has been a steady growth in bilateral trade between India and Colombia which stood at USD 2.27 billion in 2020-21, despite the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Both sides agreed to work together to further promote trade and investment in energy, IT, pharmaceuticals and automobile sectors, MEA added.

It said, "The two leaders witnessed the signing of two Letters of Intent for cooperation in the fields of biotechnology and medical research. These were signed by the Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with their Colombian counterparts."

During the meeting, the two sides welcomed the recent momentum in high-level engagements and agreed to enhance their cooperation in identified areas for mutual benefit.