By KUNA
New Delhi : Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Saturday left for a three-nation tour of Brazil, Mexico, and Chile to expand and strengthen New Delhi’s ties with Latin America. The Brazil leg of President Patil’s visit shall be from April 13-16 in which she shall visit Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia.
Patil will hold discussions with her Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva, will meet a business delegation of the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paolo and the National Confederation of Industry and address the Indian community in Sao Paulo.
Patil will be in Mexico from April 16 to 20, where she will travel to Mexico City and Guadalajara and meet President Felipe De Jesus Calderon Hinojosa. She is visiting Santiago, Chile, from April 20 to April 23, holding talks with her Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet and addressing the students and academicians in the University of Chile. In both Brazil and Mexico, she will address the Parliaments. This is Patil’s maiden foreign visit since assuming the Office of President last year. In all the three countries a number of agreements were expected to be signed during the Presidential visit. India’s Non-Conventional Energy Minister Vilasrao Muttemwar is accompanying President Patil on her visit. A business delegation is also accompanying the President to all three countries.
Presently India’s trade with Brazil is USD 3.2 billion, with Mexico USD two billion and with Chile USD 2.4 billion. New Delhi has set a trade target of USD 10 billion with Brazil and of USD five billion with Mexico by 2010.