India, Paraguay stand united against terrorism: PM Modi

India and Paraguay stand united in the fight against terrorism and there is immense possibility to work unitedly to combat shared challenges such as cybercrime and drug trafficking, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

Modi made the remarks at delegation-level talks with Paraguayan President Santiago Pena Palacios. The Pahalgam terror attack figured in the talks.

Pena arrived in Delhi this morning on a three-day visit to India to explore ways to expand overall cooperation.

It is his first visit to India and only the second trip by a president of the South American country.

Paraguay is an important trading partner for India in the Latin American region. Several Indian companies in the automobile and pharmaceutical sectors have their presence in Paraguay.

Modi expressed his deep appreciation for Paraguay for its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, as well as for the sincere condolences and solidarity expressed with the people of India, P Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said at a media briefing.

Both leaders ''unequivocally'' condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, he said.

On behalf of the Paraguayan people, President Pena expressed his deep solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack and their families, he added.

Kumaran said President Pena made it clear that he would be looking at India as a big trade and investment partner, and invited Indian companies to invest in Paraguay.

Modi and Pena held a comprehensive discussion on the entire spectrum of ties including trade and investment, defence and security, infrastructure, mining and mineral resources, agriculture and food security, and green energy.

In his remarks at the talks, Modi said, ''We see new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as digital technology, critical minerals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, defence, railways, space and overall economic partnership.'' The prime minister also referred to New Delhi's preferential trade arrangement with South American trading bloc MERCOSUR.

''We can work together to further expand it,'' he said.

MERCOSUR or Common Market of the South is a trading bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The two leaders also deliberated on ways to combat terrorism against the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack.

''India and Paraguay stand united in the fight against terrorism. There is immense possibility of cooperation to fight against shared challenges such as cybercrime, organised crime and drug trafficking,'' Modi said.

The prime minister described Paraguay as an integral part of the Global South.

''India and Paraguay are integral parts of the Global South. Our hopes, aspirations and challenges are similar. And this is why we can learn from each other's experiences to deal with these challenges effectively,'' he said.

''We are pleased that India could extend support to Paraguay by sharing its vaccines during the COVID pandemic. We look forward to continuing this spirit of cooperation by sharing more of our capabilities,'' he said.

Modi and Pena welcomed the establishment of a Joint Commission Mechanism (JCM) that will serve as a key platform to review and advance cooperation in priority areas of mutual interest.

India and Paraguay established diplomatic relations on 13 September 1961, cultivating warm and friendly ties between the two nations.

Both countries have since developed cooperation in various sectors, including trade, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals and information technology.

The two countries share common views on various international issues, including UN reforms, climate change, renewable energy and combating terrorism, according to the MEA.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)