India and El Salvador on Monday discussed the development of bilateral ties including in areas of trade, health and pharma, capacity building, culture and education.

“4th India-El Salvador FOC held in New Delhi. Led by Secy (East) @AmbSaurabhKumar and Vice Minister Adriana Mira de Pereira of El Salvador. Discussions covered further development of bilateral ties including in areas of trade, health & pharma, capacity building, culture and education,” tweeted Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Mira de Pereira is visiting India from May 1-2 2023. Both sides reviewed their bilateral relations and chalked out the way forward, read the MEA press release.

They also discussed bilateral cooperation in diverse sectors including trade and economic, health and pharmaceuticals, ICT and eGovernance, energy including renewables, development cooperation and capacity building, culture and education.

Secretary (East) invited El Salvador to participate in the India-LAC Business Conclave being organized by CII in August 2023 in New Delhi, added the release.

Also read: Security Grid Tightened As Kashmir Prepares For G20 Meet

Both sides positively assessed their ongoing cooperation at the regional and multilateral fora.

This interaction follows shortly after the visit of Meenakashi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, to El Salvador in January 2023; that of Alexandra Hill Tinoco, Foreign Minister of El Salvador to India in February 2023, and the interaction between External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Hill on the margins of India-SICA (Central American Integration System) Foreign Ministerial meeting in Panama on 25 April 2023.

It is indicative of the growing strength of bilateral relations between the two countries, added the release.

Diplomatic relations between both countries were established on February 12, 1979. The Embassy of El Salvador in London was accredited to India until June 2008 when El Salvador established its embassy in New Delhi.

El Salvador currently maintains its embassy in New Delhi as well as an honorary consulate in Bengaluru. The Embassy of India in Guatemala is accredited to El Salvador. India has also an honorary consulate in San Salvador, capital and the largest city of El Salvador.

With ANI Inputs