Expert views Colombian Foreign Minister visit to India as significant

With the change in world political thought and the balance of power in international relations, a strategic shift and new alliances are emerging between the democratic countries and it seems that now India is going to play a pivotal role in the strategic alliance of democratic countries, said Dr Suvrokamal Dutta, a political thinker and foreign policy expert, in an interview with ETV Bharat senior correspondent Chandrakala Choudhury.

New Delhi: Amid Colombian Foreign Minister, Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez's visit to India on Friday, foreign policy expert has pointed it out as significant in reinforcing South-south relationship. Aimed at holding bilateral discussions during her visit, Ramirez met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today and extended an invitation to him to visit Colombia. The Colombian Foreign minister is also scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Saturday.

The bilateral meetings between Colombia and India will primarily focus on science and technology, vaccine development and biotechnology. Her visit to India will provide an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral relations and bolster ties with India especially in the face of China’s growing influence in the world.

In an interview with ETV Bharat, Dr Suvro Kamal Dutta a political thinker and foreign policy expert said, “The visit of Foreign Minister of Colombia to India is very significant. This is a part of our long historical connection of South-south relationship,”

He said that most of the South American nations are sceptical about China as the country has played a dubious role in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in the past. “These countries feel that China, in the garb of economic development and investment, upsurge the landholdings and tries to manipulate relationships and then it tries to control the political regime in those countries,” he explained.

“Colombian VP and FM @mulciaramirez met Vice President @MVenkaiahNaidu during her visit to India-an an opportunity to review reinvigorate cooperation between India and Colombia”, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted earlier today.

Dutta underlined that South American countries fear that China might do similar activities in other parts of the world. Therefore, all the countries have become very cautious about China and they feel that all the democratic countries should come together. Therefore, the South American countries, Latin American and Caribbean nations feel that they should look into ‘wider equation’ and ‘fresh political alignment’.

Further, Dutta recalled India’s contribution in terms of providing vaccines to several South American countries like Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and many more. He said that these countries were highly obliged to the Indian government because when no western country was providing them vaccines, India had come to the forefront and has provided vaccines not only to the South American countries but also to all the Latin American and Caribbean nations.

“Since then, the relationship has become more cohesive and Colombia was one of the main beneficiaries of the vaccines provided by India. Therefore, it has strengthened the relationship between India-Colombia in a big way. All the South American countries believe that India is their true friend. Therefore, these countries are coming forward to expand ties and cooperation with India,” he added.

Dutta pointed out that the recent address by PM Modi at the UNGA has tilted the balance of the equation between India and the rest of the world. He also mentioned the kind of nexus developed between Taliban, Pakistan and China, making all the democratic nations across the world wary about China. “Therefore, India is gradually emerging as a very powerful country which can take China head-on,” Dutta reiterated.

Earlier Ramirez tweeted, "We arrived in India to seal an important alliance that will allow us to produce vaccines in Colombia.” Earlier this month, Mos MEA Meenakshi Lekhi, held a meeting with the Vice President and Foreign Minister of Colombia to strengthen bilateral relations between both the countries and held discussions on regional and global issues. During the meeting, representatives from both countries also signed an MoU on cooperation in the space sector.