New Delhi, Oct 15 India Wednesday announced assistance of $200,000 to Guatemala towards disaster relief to deal with the ongoing drought in the central American nation.
This was announced by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her meeting with Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Raul Morales Moscoso, who was here on a two-day visit from Tuesday.
Guatemala has declared a state of emergency as many families in rural areas are facing food shortage.
Central America is suffering from one of its worst droughts in decades brought on by a prolonged heat wave triggered by the El Nino weather cycle. The heat wave has killed thousands of cattle, and dried up crops across the region.
Moscoso met Sushma Swaraj Wednesday during which the two sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including political, economic and commercial, consular and cultural issues, said an official statement.
Both leaders also discussed important regional and multilateral issues, including India’s ongoing engagement with Community of Latin American Caribbean States (CELAC) and Central American Integration System (SICA).
The visit of the Guatemalan foreign minister coincides with the India-LAC Investment Conclave being held on Oct 15-16 for which the Guatemalan Economy Minister Sergio de la Torre is in India along with a business delegation.
Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Rodrigo Vielmann also participated in the bilateral meetings. The participation of high level delegation accompanied by Guatemalan businessmen in the India-LAC Investment Conclave is expected to further strengthen the ties between the two countries, the statement said.