Giving a boost to its ties with the fastest growing Latin American country, India has signed four agreements with Peru, including one on defence cooperation and another on establishment of a joint commission.

The two other agreements are on exchange programme in the field of education and another a letter of intent for cooperation in the field of culture.

These agreements were signed yesterday at the end of Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s three-day visit to the Latin America country.

UNSC membership

Peru also came out in support of India’s claim for permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council.

The two countries also asserted that terrorism cannot be justified “in any form for any cause or for any reason’’.

INCHAM launched

Seeking to give a major economic thrust in its ties with the energy and mineral-rich country, Ansari also launched the Indian Chambers of Commerce (INCHAM) that will facilitate Indian trade and industry to do business in Peru and other countries of Latin America.

INCHAM is becoming operational at a time when Peru is rapidly becoming one of the more important trade partners for India in this region.

Ansari said that the new organisation promises to fill what has so far been a vacuum in India-Peru commercial and economic relations.

The official Web site of INCHAM was also launched.

In a joint statement yesterday, the two countries had underlined that a free trade agreement between them will have a “positive impact” on increasing prosperity and well-being of the people of two countries.

“The Peruvian side welcomed the Indian initiative of undertaking a comprehensive study on this important subject that will have far reaching implications for both the countries,” the statement added.

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