New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) Ambassador of Ecuador to India, Fernando Xavier Bucheli Vargas, has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as an influential voice for the Global South, noting his ability to engage with both developing economies and the world’s leading powers. He added that India’s growing economic strength and demographic significance have amplified its voice on the global stage.

Responding to a question on PM Modi becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Vargas told IANS, “I want to congratulate the people of India and especially the Prime Minister for his long-standing service to the people. We are very proud to be in a country that is managed by such a leader as Narendra Modi.”

“Of course, Prime Minister Modi is a reference in the South Global because he is a leader who can talk at the same time with the South economies, and he could be seated also with the first economy in the world. Being India, the fourth (biggest) economic power in the world, and being India, the main population country in the world, are voices we have to always listen to. We are very happy to serve here,” he added.

Highlighting that strong economic synergies benefit both nations, the envoy said that Ecuador exports products including gold, oil, and cocoa to India while importing automobiles, bikes, pharmaceutical products, and agricultural ingredients.

“Ecuador and India are complementary economies. We offer the products that India is looking for. For instance, we are selling Indian gold, we are selling oil to India, and also we are selling cocoa to prepare the best chocolates. At the same time, we are importing from India, of course, automobiles; bikes; pharmaceutical products, of course; and also ingredients for the agricultural sector,” Vargas noted.

“We could provide a lot of agricultural products to India. The land in Ecuador is so fertile; we produce almost all kinds of food you can imagine. India is a country that is growing every day, and Ecuador is a good country that you could expect to provide the fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of food that India will need in the future,” he added.

Vargas further said that Ecuador is encouraging Indian investors to explore opportunities in renewable energy and agriculture, while the upcoming visit of Ecuador’s Foreign Minister is expected to strengthen bilateral ties.

“Not only tourists, but also we are inviting the Indian investors to think about Ecuador, to invest in renewable energies, and to invest in agriculture, and we have the visit of the foreign minister in order to strengthen the relationship between India and Ecuador. Also, these days we are also getting some negotiations to have cooperation within the pharmaceutical sector, not only to purchase medicines but also to have cooperation in regulations in the technical sectors, and also we are inviting companies in India to invest in Ecuador,” he stressed.

–IANS

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