India – Argentina

India-Argentina, a long term link.

In 1885 the National Census indicated the presence in Argentina of 6 peoples from India.

In 1913 there were 60 peoples from India and 51 of them had Singh as last name. The coordinator of this group was Mr. Bushan Singh.

In 1920 was inaugurate in Kalkota an Argentinean Consulate.

In 1924 the Novel Prized and Indian Poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Buenos Aires during almost 3 month and being hosted by the famous argentinian writer Victoria Ocampo.

In 1925 the Maharaja of Kapurtala was in Argentina visiting his friend the Argentina President Marcelo T. de Alvear.

In 1943 an Latin American Indian Commerce Committee was created in Buenos Aires. The Chief of the Committee was Mr. J.R. modi from India.

On February 3, 1949, the Argentina Minister of External Affairs and the General Consul of India signed an agreement starting diplomatic relationships between both nations.

On April 19th, 1949 Mr. Aftab Rai was the first Consul of India.

On May 19th, 1949 a Law was approved at the Argentina National Congress to open an Embassy in New Delhi.

The first Ambassador of India was Mr. Oscar Tascheret

who presents his credential in New Delhi on April 4th, 1950.

The first Ambassador of India was J.V. Vesukar.

Since then, both countries has been exchanging Ambassadors regularly.

On December 1961, the Argentina President Arturo Frondizi, together with the Minister of External Affairs Miguel Angel Carcano, visited India. That was the first visit of an Argentina President to India.

There was a civic reception at the historical Red Fortin Delhi on December 6th where President Frondizi and Prime Minister Jawarharlal Nehru gave important talks.

President Frondizi was received by the Parliament of India giving a talk regardin the cooperation among both countries at United Nations for the goal of Peace, the right of peoples of enjoying the benefits of economic development and immediate actions for the atomic disarm. Later he was in Kolkata and Agra. At the end of the visit President Frondizi and Prime Minister Nerhu release a paper emphasizing, among other issues, the economic cooperation.

In 1965 the “Fragata Libertad” school ship went to India.

In March 1966, the Minster of External Affairs Dr Miguel Angel Zanal Ortiz, visited India officially and signed the 1° Commercial Agreement Argentina-India.

In 1968 Indira Gandhi visited Buenos Aires and signed several bilateral agreement incluiding the “Agreement for Tourist Visa without fees”. Ms Gandhi visited the house of Victoria Ocampo.

In May 1974 the Minister of External Affairs, Mr. Surendra Pal Singh, visited Buenos Aires and signed 2 important agreements with the Argentina Minister Mr. Alberto Vignes: one call Cultural Agreement and other call Cooperation for Pacific Use of the Atomic Energy Agreement.

The Argentina Minisiter of Energy Dr. Guadagni was a speaker at the World Conference on Energy held in Delhi on September 1983.

The same year, India enter as Consulting Part in the Antarctic Tractate and become a member of theScientific Committee for Antarctic Research in 1984.

In 1983 when Dr. Raul Alfonsin became President of Argentina, India welcomed the recovery of democracy in Argentina.

On April 1984, the President of India Giani Zail Singh visited Argentina and gave a talk at the Argentina Congress describing Argentina as “A sister Republic from the other side of the planet”. He went to Salta and had a meeting with with almost 100 families from India (basically from Punjab) who emigrated to Argentina around 1930. At present times there is a Sikh Temple in Rosario de la Frontera, Province of Salta.

In January 1985, Dr. Alfonsin was invited for the celebrations for the Day of Indian Republic in New Delhi. During his stay participated at the Meeting of 6 Naitons for the disarm together with the Prime Minister of India, Suecia ans Greece and the President of Mexico and Tanzania. During his visit the Unida Foundation with headquarter in New Delhi delivered to him the Unity Award for the International Understanding.

The Vice-Minister of External Affairs K.P.S. Menon visited Buenos Aires in 1988 for consultations regarding Non-Alinated Countries.

The Chief of the Indian Army, Almirant J.G. Nadkarni, visited Buenos Aires invited by the Argentina Government in 1989.

A delegation leaded by the Minister of Finances Eduardo Faleiro was present at the Ceremony of taking office of President Carlos Menem in 1989.

At the G-15 Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, President Menem and Prime Ministe V.P. Singh exchange ideas and proposals on international matters.

In November 1990, by an invitation of the India Parliament, Dr. Rodriguez Saa fron San Luis Province headed a Argentina Delegation for India. The same year, the President of the Committee of Atomic Energy, Dr. Manuel Mondino, visited India and had important meetings with his colleague Dr. Iyenger and Secretary Malhotra from External Affairs.

The Chief of the Indian Airforce visited Argntina with a delegation.

In 1991, President Menem and Prime Minister N. Rao met at G-15 Meeting in Caracas. The same year, The Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Shankarand was lecturer at the Petroleum Worls Congress in Buenos Aires.

In 1994, President Menem visited Delhi for the G-15 Meeting and has extensive meetings with Indian leaders. In November 1995, the Prime Minister N. Rao visited Buenos Aires for the G-15 Meeting.

The Minister of Agriculture, Som Pal assisted to the 112° International Expsition of Agriculture and Industry in Buenos Aires on August 1998.

In May 2000 the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Omar Abdullah, visited Buenos Aires.The Minister of External Affairs Ajit Kumar Panja visited Argentina the same year.

The Minister of Energy Suresh Prabhu participated in the 18th World Council of Energy celebrated in Buenos Aires in October 2001, a Indo-Argentina Joint Committee was created.. The first meeting was held in Delhi in 1994. The Argentina delegation was headed by the famous economist Dr. Raul Prebisch whom received in 1974 the “Award Jawarhar Lal Nehru to the International Understanding”.

In 1986 Ayurvedic Medical Meditation was tought at the San Luis, Corrientes and Posadas Prisons for Inmate Rehabilitation.

In 1988 a Governmental Committee to Study Ayurveda Medicine was created at the Health Ministry of La Rioja Province.

The Universidad Abierta Interamericana of Buenos Aires founded in 1996, the 1° Department of Ayurveda Medicine for Medical Doctors in Latin-America and the Department of Indo-Oriental Studies.

This University organizes the Week of India on a yearly basis.

In 1996 a 40 rooms Ayurvedic Health Resort was founded in Cordoba, Argentina beside the Anisacate River and surrounded by the mountains at

Villa La Paisanita.

In 2002 the Argentina India Freinship House was founded.

In 2008 the Argentina-India Chanber of Commerce & Industry was created.

During the 40s the comercial Exchange were only few millions dollars growing now up to U$S 1.3 billions.

Lot of Indian Companies has a branch in Argentina.

India is saling to Argentina chemicals. Cars, parts, motorcycles, textiles, stain steel goods and handicrafts. Argentina it is saling Soy oil (almost 80% of total export), iron, steel, cotton, wool, leather, zinc, copper and other minerals.

As future complementation we can say Argentina can be a source of agricultural good, transferring of technology for “Direct Seeding”, minerals and biodiesel. India can contribute with direct investments and Informatic Technology.

During the first half of 2008 the Argentina/India commerce has been increased in more than 40% under the administration of the new Indian Ambassador to Argentina Mr. Rengaraj Viswanathan.

A important delegation will visit Argentina on2009 for the Third India- Latin America Business Conclave to be held in Buenos Aires to share with Argentinean Business men and Governmental official the opportunity to plan and think about future commons activities.

On February 4th, 2009 the President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner it is planning to visit Delhi and Mumbai with a delegation of 70 business men.

Some interesting point of Argentina-India contact.

After the 2° World War a Aeronautical Engineer called Kurt Tank , who designed several important airplanes, accepted in 1947 an offer from the Cordoba Airplanes Military Factory, Argentina where he created and designed the PULQUI II. This airplane was considered the State-of-the-Art. In 1955 Kurt Tank left Argentina for India to work at the Hindustan Aeronautics where he designed HINDUSTAN MARUT, the first military airplane builded in India. The first prototype flew in 1961.

The MARUT was out of the active service in 1985.

India and Argentina are working together on important global issues of common interest such as UN and NATO.

Both are members of G-20 and G-15.