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MoS MEA Meenakashi Lekhi to visit Panama, Honduras, Chile

Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India Meenakashi Lekhi will be on an official visit to Panama, Honduras and Chile from April 28 to May 5. This will be her first visit to these countries. Earlier Lekhi had visited Colombia in September 2021.

MoS MEA Meenakashi Lekhi to visit Panama, Honduras, Chile
MoS MEA Meenakashi Lekhi to visit Panama, Honduras, Chile
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Published : Apr 27, 2022, 10:02 PM IST

New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi will be on an official visit to Panama, Honduras and Chile from April 28 to May 5. This will be her first visit to these countries. Earlier Lekhi had visited Colombia in September 2021.

During her visit to Panama from April 28 to May 1, the minister will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Erika Mouynes and Minister of Culture, Giselle Gonzalez Villarue. The two sides will also sign agreements on cultural exchange programmes and gainful employment for dependents of officials of the diplomatic mission. The visit would provide an opportunity to review progress in the bilateral relations since the visit of Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu to Panama in May 2018.

Lekhi will visit Honduras from May 1 to 3, where she will call on the President of Honduras, Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento. She will also meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras, Eduardo Enrique Reina to discuss various bilateral, regional and international issues. The MoS will also lay the foundation stone for the Jamastran Valley Irrigation project funded by the Government of India through Lines of Credit. She will visit the IT Center National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) which was set up in 2008 with GOI’s assistance and currently has trained more than 20,000 students.

In Santiago, the minister will meet with Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola Noguera and Chilean Minister for Culture, Arts and Heritage, Julieta Brodsky Hernandez. Chile is the 5th trading partner of India in the LAC region. India-Chile total trade for the year 2021-22 was USD 2.35 bn, as compared to USD 1.47 bn in 2020-21. The visit will add fresh momentum to India-Chile relations under the new government of President Gabriel Boric Font.

Lekhi will address and interact with the Indian diaspora and participate in curtain-raiser events for International Day of Yoga 2022 and celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in all three countries. With about 15,000 persons of Indian origin, Panama is home to the largest Indian diaspora in Latin America.

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