MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
India interested in reaching out to Latin America and Mercosur
Vice President Astori underlined Uruguay’s governance and stability India is reaching out to emerging markets and Latin America, and more precisely Mercosur is a strategic priority, said India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India-Uruguay business conference that hosted a large Uruguayan business delegation led by the country’s Vice-President, Danilo Astori.
Minister Scindia underlined that India has made a slow but steady progress in the liberalization process that balances growth with sustainability and inclusiveness and the country now offers one of the most open FDI environments in the world. The Minister also stressed on the growing outward FDI by Indian firm, and referred to such economic linkages as commercial and human bridges that connect India to the world.
In his remarks Vice-president Astori said Uruguay is the gateway to the over 200 million consumer strong Mercosur group adding that Uruguay has the most advantageous position in terms of logistics and connectivity with the rest of Latin America. Mercosur and India have a limited trade preferences agreement.
“For Uruguay in its international insertion strategy, links with India are crucial since it is one of the emerging powers with a growing influence in the global context; this is why it is so important to increase trade, both ways, because currently it is insignificant and negative for Uruguay”, said Astori.
The Uruguayan official emphasized the democratic traditions and the strong governance indicators that make Uruguay such an attractive location for investors coming to Latin American region.
Astori mentioned that the Indian group Tata is already operating in Uruguay and has plans to increase investments and advanced that two other large organizations, Aditya Biria and Essar are interested in exploring the country’s possibilities particularly in the area of infrastructure.
“We need to improve our transport system our communications, ports, energy and railways, and these are all fields in which this group is interested in exploring opportunities”, pointed out Astori.
One of the several accords signed between India and Uruguay refers to the promotion of trade involving small and medium enterprises for which they will have special funding from Uruguay’s Republic bank and India’s Eximbank.
Another accord signed refers to renewable energy, more precisely wind power: “this will allow us to advance in an area which is crucial and strategic for Uruguay”, said Astori. Uruguay has no hydrocarbons and its hydroelectric capacity is at its maximum.
Uruguay and India already have a treaty for the protection and promotion of investments, which is expected to receive legislative approval in the coming weeks.
Astori and the business delegation ended their week long visit to India this weekend.
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Read all commentsIf I understand the journalist correctly, Vice-president Astori said Uruguay is the gateway to the over 200 million consumer strong Mercosur group and that Uruguay has the most advantageous position in terms of logistics and connectivity with the rest of Latin America.
Feb 28th, 2011 - 03:03 pm 0What planet is the man living on?
OK, it has a port and it is between Argentina and Brasil ....... but connectivity with the rest of Latin America !!! Try freighting goods by road or rail from Caracas to Montivideo for onward transportation to Mumbai.
The man must think that South America has a sub-continental rail network like the one the British built for them!
Geoff said:
Mar 01st, 2011 - 07:15 am 0'Try freighting goods by road or rail from Caracas to “Montivideo” for onward transportation to Mumbai.“
That's a ridiculous thing to say, of course they would use the Panama canal instead! Montevideo is the ideal gateway for the MERCOSUR countries, plus Bolivia, and even Chile for ships navigating the Atlantic Ocean. Bolivia has been offered an exit to the Atlantic from ports in Uruguay, as Paraguay is doing presently. In order to facilitate that, Astori said:
“We need to improve our transport system our communications, ports, energy and railways, and these are all fields in which this group is interested in exploring opportunities” and then Geoff said:
”The man must think that South America has a sub-continental rail network like the one the British built for them!” .That's a contradiction in itself! Of course the British built their railways, thank you very much, in such a way that's practically impossible to interconnect the countries of the region, they did it on purpose of course, in order to DIVIDE AND CONQUER as they did,do, everywhere. Yes, even in their beloved Australia! Try to travel from Queensland to Victoria on A train!! LOL
Goooood - got a response to the little railway tease - though the Indian railways did span India, Palistan and Bangladesh; only the Japanese wanted them to link up beyond the sub-continent with a new rail-route through Burma (I know, because I had relatives killed in their slave-labour attempt to build it).
Mar 01st, 2011 - 10:00 am 0But seriously, aedi, Astori SAID, and I quote “..... Uruguay has the most advantageous position in terms of logistics and connectivity with the rest of Latin America.”
Overstatement ot what!
Try making a container beef shipment to Mumbai from (eg) Cuiaba, or a container shoes shipment via Brasilia, and route it through Montevideo port.
Mercosur has a long way to go before Brasil will forgo the Santos option, or Argentina the B.A. option.
To make the Indian model work needs a Latin Americal integrated road and rail INFRASTRUCTURE.
Even with a massive Chinese investment and a massive Chinese workforce (like in Angola) this is decades or even centuries down the track
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