New Delhi [India], September 16 (ANI): India and Venezuela have held discussions to explore collaboration in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on transformative applications in payments, citizen services, agriculture, health, and education, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the MEA stated that the Secretary (East) from the MEA, P Kumaran, met Venezuela's Vice-Minister for Development of Information and Communications Technology, Raul Hernandez and held discussions on these areas.

'Secretary (East) P Kumaran met Mr Raul Hernandez, Vice-Minister for Development of Information and Communications Technology, Venezuela. Discussions focused on cooperation in the areas of Digital Public Infrastructure and AI, including in the fields of payments, citizen services, agriculture, health and education,' the MEA stated in its post on X.

According to the MEA, India and Venezuela have always enjoyed cordial relations. There is a similarity of views on major international, political and economic issues. In addition to actively promoting bilateral relations, the two countries also cooperate in multilateral forums.

The countries marked the 64th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2023. Resident Embassies have been in Caracas and New Delhi for over four decades. Venezuela has emerged as one of India's largest oil suppliers.

In February, an MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation was signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Venezuelan Ministry of Science and Technology.

As per MEA, the main items of India's exports to Venezuela are mineral fuels and oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; pharmaceutical products; cotton; nuclear reactors; boilers; machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical machinery and equipment; sound recorders and reproducers; television image and sound recorders and reproducers; articles of apparel and clothing accessories; and miscellaneous chemical products.

Meanwhile, the main items of India's imports from Venezuela are mineral fuels and oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances; mineral waxes, iron and steel, aluminium, edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers, copper and articles thereof, lead and articles thereof, zinc and articles thereof, wood and articles of wood; electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, raw hides, skins and leather, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; edible fruit and nuts; plastic and articles thereof, organic chemicals, miscellaneous chemical products, and articles of iron or steel. (ANI)