Central & South American countries are small but important. Their size makes them pursue their interests collectively in the United Nations. These ambassadors, consequently without the agendas that bigger nations have, are typically astute, lively observers of international affairs and geopolitics. In the course of their tenures with the UN, they serve on important international committees and are cultivated for their personal skills, their closeness to their heads of government and the weight they exert in regional and international organizations.
Of late, Latin American countries have shot into the limelight because of their wealth in natural resources and agricultural produce. Venezuela is a major exporter of oil, and Bolivia, a large exporter of natural gas. This region’s nations have the potential to be major food exporters. Given their sunny climates and proximity to the ocean, traditional business expertise for many of these nations is in the hospitality industry. Latin America is increasingly an important market for Indian business and it shares similarities with our business environment. They are here to interact with Indian investors, due to the great amount of similarities between the Indian business environment and those in these regions.
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations hosted a private, members-only Latin American Diplomatic Roundtable. Gateway House Members interacted with ten permanent ambassadors to the United Nations from various South and Central American nations including Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia and Ecuador.
This intimate roundtable discussion presented by Gateway House members revolved around issues relating to Social Enterprise, India as an Emerging Market, India’s Energy Security, Urbanization, the Indian Diaspora and Gandhi in Modern India.