Rome/New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held bilateral talks with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez and invited Spain to invest in India, including in the areas of green hydrogen, infrastructure, defence manufacturing and the Asset Monetization plan.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 16th G20 in Rome.
“The two leaders welcomed the growing bilateral trade and investment linkages, including the recent signing of the contract to procure 56 C295 aircraft from Airbus Spain, 40 of which will be ‘Made in India’ in collaboration with Tata Advanced Systems,” said a MEA statement.
The Government of India last month signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Under this, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its Spanish facility in Seville over four years. All deliveries are expected to be completed within ten years of signing the contract.
The remaining 40 units will be manufactured and assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL).
“They agreed to further expand bilateral cooperation in new areas like e-mobility, clean tech, advanced materials and deep sea exploration.
"PM Modi invited Spain to invest in various sectors including Green Hydrogen, infrastructure and defence manufacturing and further take advantage of India’s National Infrastructure Pipeline, Asset Monetization Plan and the Gati Shakti Plan," the statement said.
The two leaders discussed India-EU relations as well as cooperation on climate action and priorities at the upcoming COP26.
They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.
PM Modi looks forward to welcoming PM Sanchez in India next year, it said.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet said:
“PM @narendramodi met Prime Minister of Spain @sanchezcastejon.
“Invited Spain to invest in various sectors in India including green hydrogen, infrastructure and defence manufacturing.”
The Prime Minister’s Office in a tweet said that both leaders held fruitful talks on ways to deepen ties:
“In Rome, PM @narendramodi met the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr.
@sanchezcastejon.
“Both leaders had fruitful talks on ways to deepen ties between India and Spain.
“The two nations are cooperating extensively in areas such as trade, energy, innovation and more,” it tweeted.
UNI/RN