Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday began his historic visit to Argentina by paying respects at the statue of General Jose de San Martin, the country’s revered freedom fighter and national hero, in Buenos Aires.
PM Modi laid a wreath and paid tribute at the San Martin Memorial, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the South American nation in 57 years.
General Jose de San Martin is recognised as the liberator of Argentina, and the monument was created in 1862 by French sculptor Louis Joseph Daumas. It was the first equestrian statue in Buenos Aires.
San Martin led crucial phases of Argentina’s struggle for independence between 1813 and 1818 — defeating Spanish forces at the Battle of San Lorenzo, reorganising the Army of the North, becoming Governor of Cuyo, and creating the Army of the Andes, which he led across the mountains into Chile to liberate the neighbouring country from Spanish rule. He later moved north to help liberate Peru in 1820.
Notably, a road in New Delhi has been named after the Argentine hero, serving as a lasting tribute to his legacy and standing as a shining symbol of the warm and friendly ties between India and Argentina.
Later, the PM was warmly received by Argentina’s President Javier Milei at the historic Casa Rosada as the two leaders began bilateral engagements.
PM Modi arrived in Argentina early Saturday on the third leg of his five-nation tour, following visits to Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago earlier in the week. The tour will continue with visits to Brazil (July 5–8) and Namibia (July 9).
The Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome ahead of delegation-level talks, followed by a lunch hosted by President Milei in his honour.
Argentina has been a strategic partner of India since 2019, and the two countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations last year.
The visit comes at a particularly significant time, as Argentina is undertaking major economic reforms that mirror those India implemented in the past, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted ahead of the visit.
Both leaders are expected to discuss economic and trade matters to further strengthen bilateral relations.
“India’s advancements in defence manufacturing, the space sector, and new areas such as information technology and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can offer valuable expertise. We can share experiences with Argentina. Our expertise in telemedicine and digital healthcare solutions is also on offer to help Argentina expand access to medical services and improve overall quality and cost-effective healthcare delivery,” said MEA Secretary (East) P. Kumaran during a special media briefing ahead of the PM’s visit.
The leaders are also expected to review ongoing cooperation and explore ways to enhance the India-Argentina partnership in key areas, including defence, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties.
India and Argentina have made significant progress in bilateral cooperation in the mineral resources sector, particularly lithium — a key element in India’s green energy transition. An MoU on cooperation in mineral resources was signed in August 2022, and the first meeting of the Joint Working Group under the MoU was held in January 2025.
“Argentina holds the world’s second-largest shale gas reserves and the fourth-largest shale oil reserves, along with substantial conventional oil and gas deposits, making it a potentially important energy partner for India. Its rich reserves of critical minerals such as lithium, copper, and rare earth elements complement India’s growing need for secure and sustainable supplies for clean energy and industrial growth. India’s public sector enterprise KABIL has already secured a few concessions in Argentina since 2024. Our leaders will discuss this further,” Kumaran added.
Notably, India-Argentina bilateral trade more than doubled in three years — from 2019 to 2022 — peaking at USD 6.4 billion in 2022. In 2021 and 2022, India was Argentina’s fourth-largest trading partner. Argentina is a key supplier of edible oils — particularly soybean and sunflower oil — to India. In 2024, total annual bilateral trade rose by 33 percent to USD 5.23 billion, positioning India as Argentina’s fifth-largest trading partner and export destination.
—IANS
