India, Brazil unveil plan to boost ties

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 25

India and Brazil today unveiled a joint action plan to put their strategic relationship on a higher trajectory and inked 14 pacts and announced four more in various areas.

The joint action plan, clustered around six thematic areas, will be monitored by a high-level joint commission that will meet every two years to guide and evaluate the bilateral cooperation in all areas, in accordance with the present action plan.

“Brazil and India’s strategic partnership is based on common philosophy and values. Despite geographical distance, we have been members of various fora and significant partners in development too. That is why he and I today have agreed on bilateral cooperation in all areas,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi with visiting Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro by his side.

Bolsonaro arrived here on Friday along with his daughter, daughter-in-law, eight ministers, four MPs and a business delegation. Earlier in the day, he was given a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Modi. Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, the third time a Brazilian President has been invited to do the honours. Both sides inked 11 MoUs of which the most prominent is the Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty.