Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist January 2019

IN FOCUS are reaching a new status quo in their economic relationship, turning a new page in South-South relations. The political relationship, however, lags behind the commercial one. Even as India’s diplomatic missions in 14 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries and the 20 LAC diplomatic missions in India work diligently to deepen bilateral ties, there lacks a certain political will that could take relations to the next level. High-level visits, especially at the level of heads of government, are few and far in between. Out of Modi’s 93 international trips, only three have been in Latin America – a visit to Brazil in July 2014 for the BRICS Summit, a short four-hour visit to Mexico in June 2016, and the recent visit to Buenos Aires for the G20 Summit. In comparison, he has visited Central Asia eight times, Africa nine times, and even Oceania three times. Latin American heads of government visit India more often, but still much less frequently than traditional partners. Nonetheless, in time, political ties will also pick up steam. Like any relationship, India and Latin America also face certain challenges. The most commonly cited are those of distance, language, and a lack of direct shipping routes. However, these should be considered matters of the past. the modern, contemporary sides. The second is a lack of knowledge of the market and the subtleties of each other’s cultures. Companies from both sides, for example, must research the local market and adapt to diﬀ erent realities, rather than follow a one-size-ﬁ ts-all approach. Most India-LAC exchanges have taken place only in the past three decades. Prior to this, both remained at the far edge of each other’s foreign policy. The opportunities for India and Latin America thus far outweigh the challenges. Business will remain on an upward trajectory, given the natural convergence in trade and services. We should also keep an eye on increasing people-to-people ties. This is already evident through the increasing number of student delegations and academic exchanges, and the continuous cultural exchanges through ﬁ lms, art and literature. A real deepening of diplomatic ties could add signiﬁ cant value to India-Latin America ties. This could be done through the opening of more Embassies and Consulates, and India could also consider appointing the equivalent of China’s Special Representative on Latin American Aﬀ airs, an envoy who could help shape a cohesive strategy for India in Latin America. The larger context, however, is one of South-South Every country in the world does business with others that speak different languages, and India and Latin America are no exception. India’s trade with Japan and South Korea at $30 billion each is roughly equal to its trade with Latin America in 2016 In this era of globalisation and technology, distance is no longer a major obstacle. China’s booming business with the Latin American region is a prime example, and it has ﬂ ourished despite the distance – China is the largest trade partner for Brazil, Peru and Chile, and is one of the largest investors and lenders in the region. Indirect shipping routes too should not be considered a deterrent. Goods now frequently pass through trans-shipment hubs like Singapore, Dubai, Netherlands, Panama and Belgium. Perhaps the most cited challenge is that of language. It is also perhaps the most unfounded. International commerce transcends language. Every country in the world does business with others that speak diﬀ erent languages, and India and Latin America are no exception. India’s trade with Japan and South Korea at $30 billion each is roughly equal to its trade with Latin America in 2016, yet business with these countries is often conducted in English, Korean and Japanese, with or without interpreters that facilitate these exchanges. Language must be understood as part of the learning curve, rather than a limitation. There are only two real challenges here. The ﬁ rst is perception: India and Latin America must learn to shed their images of old India and the old Latin America, and embrace relations. India and Latin America will continue to face similar challenges: combating poverty, increasing ﬁ nancial and social inclusion, improving the quality of governance, expanding and improving public services like healthcare and education. They will also have at their disposal similar opportunities such as an empowered middle class and the rapid spread of technology. It would be to the beneﬁ t of both India and Latin America to begin a conscious dialogue on such themes and ﬁ nd solutions to long-term issues such as energy and food security. Going forward, both India and Latin America should focus on the one thing that could rapidly enhance bilateral ties: a perception overhaul, leaving behind nostalgic cultural ties and embracing the realities of the modern India and Latin America – from India’s 500+ million middle class and its booming service sector to Latin America’s unique startup culture and innovative urban development. * The author is a Latin America analyst, currently working as trade advisor for ProColombia, a Colombian government agency. This is the updated version of the article which was fi rst published by Inter-American Development Bank Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 1 • January 2019, Noida • 17

Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist January 2019 | Page 17