"FESTIVAL OF INDIA" OPENED AT CARACAS
A
"Festival of India" was inaugurated at Caracas,
the capital city of Venezuela, on last Thursday evening by the
Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Kashiram Rana. In his inaugural
address, Shri Rana spoke about the growth of India’s economic
relations with Venezuela and the Latin American region.
He also said that the Government of India had launched an Integrated
Export Promotion Programme called
Focus LAC, taking into consideration the tremendous
export potential in the region.
The
Festival, being organised by the Export Promotion Council for
Handicrafts (EPCH) with the support of the Ministries of Textiles
and Commerce, is the largest festival ever organised in Venezuela
and the Latin American region. The festival comprises an exhibition
of handicrafts, carpets, and Ayurvedic
products in El Recreo, the largest shopping
mall of Venezuela; an Indian Food Festival in Hotel Marriott for
which Chefs have been taken from Goa; performances by Rajasthani
folk dance group led by Gavardhan Kumari;
live demonstration of handicrafts by artisans
sent by the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts; yoga demonstration;
an Indian film festival; and a golf tournament.
The Ambassador of India in Venezuela, Shri R. Viswanathan,
in his speech at the inaugural function, mentioned that India’s
exports to Venezuela had gone up from $ 32 million in 2000 to
$ 52 million in 2001. He was optimistic that it would be possible
to achieve the target of increasing the exports to $ 150 million
in the next three years.
In the meeting Shri Rana had with the Venezuelan
Minister of Trade and Industry, both sides expressed interest
in increasing the bilateral trade. They referred to the ongoing
discussions for signing of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)
between the two countries.
Venezuela
has emerged as a source of supply of petroleum to India during
the last few years. Oil India
Limited will be signing a consultancy contract next month with
the Venezuelan State Oil Company, PDVSA, for
exploration and production of extra heavy crude found in Rajasthan.
ONGC Videsh is holding talks with Venezuelan companies for acquisition
of oil field for exploration and production. An agreement for
cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector has already been
finalised and will be signed soon.
