The cultural czars from the land of famed writer Gabriel Gaza Marcues literally stormed Indian metros with their wonderful cultural expressions in the last week of October, when the Colombian Embassy in India hosted a weeklong cultural retrospective in India. Held in four Indian metros of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkota and Chennai the cultural feat and had four major components-Exhibition, Music band and concerts, Film Festival and a conclave of eminent writers from Colombia.

Colombia is the third largest economy in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico and in terms of size it comes fourth after Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. In year 2009, Colombia will be celebrating the golden jubilee of its 50th year of diplomatic relations with India. The curtain raiser for its celebrations began with a cultural programme in New Delhi on 12 December.

Mr. Juan Alfredo Pinto Saavedra, Colombia’s Ambassador to India, told Diplomatist “The response to the Cultural Week was really exciting. Through the cultural week our intent was to create a social intelligence and increase the visibility of Colombia in India”

The Ambassador, himself a writer and has authored many books is a former minister of Colombia. He added, “I have really seen relations between India and Colombia expanding impressively during the one year I have been in India. Now we have strong economic ties that are growing. I want the cultural ties also to expand”.

Writers Gathering

The Writers’ conclave was a unique gathering of literateurs and was held from 22-23 October to discuss the works of celebrated Colombian writer and Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A photo exhibition on the author - “Gabo the Writer” – was also organised in Kolkata and Mumbai. Four contemporary writers from Colombia attended the discussions and talks with their Indian counterparts- Santiago Gamboa, Enrique Serrano, Mario Mendonza and Hector Abad Faciolince. According to the Ambassador, the Writers meet and film festival created a highly stimulated intellectual ambience and atmosphere.

The film festival was held at the Siri Fort Auditorium from October 22-25 and acclaimed films were screened, including “Santanas” based on the book by Mendonza. The film festival gave ample food for thought on alternative cinema. On 26 October, a “Colombian Diwali” was organised to celebrate the Indian festival of lights and the enthralled audience danced to the tunes of noted Latin American musical group Zona Prieta.

Bilateral Ties

According to the Ambassador, Colombia is practicing ‘Managerial diplomacy’ in India. He explained it as tapping into the opportunities emanating from India’s rising prominence as an emerging economy, through the judicious use of diplomatic tools and engagement with the institutions. The focus will be on economic relations, trade and investment. In the whole exercise, care will be taken to nurture institutional relations such as Government-to-Government, Private-Sector-to-Private-Sector, University to University and finally people to people.

The Ambassador informs, “We have already negotiated 97 percent of the Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement, and a Double Tax Avoidance Treaty. In the coming months you will see more India-Colombia business collaborations.”

There are about 26 Indian companies operating in Colombia who include Reliance Industries and Tatas. The bilateral trade between the two countries is making good progress; it has grown 35 percent last year to touch US$600 million from US$450 million. An ongoing agreement exists between Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and Colombian Association of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Investing in Colombia

The Mining, IT, Bio Pharma, Chemical and Engineering Industries are areas where Colombia offers big investment opportunities for foreign investors. Indian private sector has already registered its presence.

In the energy sector, “Reliance Industries and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) are already there. I am sure there is space for more mining and energy sector players from India Inc”, the ambassador said. In the mining sector, good opportunities exist in coal, iron, nickel and emeralds.

From Colombia, Fanaka, a player in solid waste management, has entered the Indian market in a big way. There are more companies waiting to utilise opportunities in the electricity transmission and transportation sectors of India.

For Colombia, it is a matter of pleasure that out of the 100 visas that the Embassy processes a month, 80 percent is business visas. “It is a good sign of expanding business relations”, quips the Ambassador.