Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, highlighting his ability to engage with world leaders. Speaking at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said, “President Modi, you have the status nowadays that you can talk to every leader of the world. You're supporting Trump, Zelenskyy, the European Union, and the Latin American leaders in Greece or Iran. That is something that no other leader can say now. So you're a key player in the geopolitical atmosphere nowadays.”
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Strengthening India-Chile ties
Boric expressed gratitude for the warm welcome in India, saying, “I am here for the first time for a State visit... I want to thank you for the warm welcome that we have received here... For the past 16 years, no one from Chile has come here, and in that 16 years, India has changed a lot.” He emphasized Chile’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with India, stating, “Chile wants to work on our relationship with India. Today, we have signed several MoUs.”
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Chile’s global outreach
Boric highlighted Chile’s independent foreign policy, saying, “Chile is a country that is connected to the world. We do not depend on one special country, but we have relationships with China, with the United States, with the European Union, with the countries from our region, Latin America, with the countries from Asia Pacific, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and now we want to work more deeply in our relationships with India.” He further added, “As you said in the meeting with Prime Minister Modi in his third mandate, we have subscribed to some agreements and MoUs in such important issues as cultural exchange, Antarctic investigation—Chile is the door for the world to the Antarctic continent.”
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State visit and diplomatic engagements
Invited by PM Modi, Boric’s visit from April 1-5 marks 76 years of diplomatic ties between India and Chile. He is accompanied by Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Mining, Women and Gender Equality, and Culture, as well as business leaders and senior officials. Apart from New Delhi, he will visit Agra, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
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Bilateral meetings and agreements
Boric received a ceremonial welcome at Air Force Station Palam. He held bilateral talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House and met President Droupadi Murmu, who hosted a banquet in his honor. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also called on him.
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