New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday extended greetings to Nicaragua on its Independence Day.

Jaishankar said India valued Nicaragua's cooperation.

In a post on X, he said, 'Best wishes to FM Valdrack Ludwing Jaentschke Whitaker, the Government and the people of Nicaragua on their National Day. Value our exemplary multilateral cooperation and development partnership.'

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1967415486712529093

Bilateral relations between India and Nicaragua are warm and friendly. Diplomatic relations between India and Nicaragua were established in March 1983. The Indian Embassy in Panama is concurrently accredited to Nicaragua. Nicaragua earlier had an Embassy in India, which was closed down in 1990. Currently, Nicaragua's Embassy in Tokyo is concurrently accredited to India, as per the MEA.

The current President, Daniel Ortega Saavedra, had visited India twice, in 1983 and 1986, during his earlier term as President.

Sonia Castro Gonzalez (SCG), Minister of Health, accompanied by Maria De Los Angeles Boedeker Herrera, Director of Cooperation, Ministry of Health, met the Minister of Health and Family Welfare in July 2019 in Delhi. Denis Moncada Colindres, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua, visited New Delhi in October 2019 and met the External Affairs Minister. In April 2023, EAM met Foreign Minister Denis Menconda during the India-SICA Foreign Ministers meeting in Panama.

From time to time, performances by Indian cultural troupes have been held in Nicaragua. The celebration of the International Day of Yoga is organised every year in cooperation with several local Yoga institutes and the Indian Community and has evoked popular responses. Oscar Perez visited India and participated in the Kumbh Mela in February 2019 at the invitation of the Government of India.

The Indian community in Nicaragua numbers close to 50.

An Agreement on Visa Waiver for Diplomatic and Official Passports was signed in 2008. An MoU on setting up an IT Training Centre in Managua was signed in 2008. Several agreements in areas such as Cultural Cooperation, Government-to-Government credit, and Economic Cooperation have been signed with Nicaragua.

In May 2019, Nicaragua forwarded four new MoUs for cooperation in the field of Education, Health, Energy and Agriculture, and they are under MEA's consideration. (ANI)