- Minister Hill, El Salvador and India have maintained diplomatic relations for more than four decades. How would you describe the current state of promising bilateral opportunities for deeper cooperation?
El Salvador and India established diplomatic relations on 12th February 1979; however, President Nayib Bukele’s visionary approach to foreign policy has allowed for improved international outreach, focused on transforming El Salvador’s relationship with the world, further consolidating relations with strategic Asian countries, including India, and promoting the strengthening of ties of friendship and cooperation.
This has been demonstrated by the development of important high-level visits, in both countries, including one by India’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Culture, Meenakashi Lekhi, in January 2023. During this visit, we discussed the interest in advancing collaborative initiatives under the Third Political Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism, established in September 2021.
Later, in February 2023, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit India, during which I held important meetings, including with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, with whom we discussed initiatives in areas where India is a pioneer, including innovation, renewable energy, and health. We also discussed issues related to capacity building and trade expansion.
In August 2024, we received a visit from the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, during which we discussed the main aspects of the bilateral, trade, and cooperation agenda.
In this way, we demonstrate our strong interest in strengthening diplomatic, cultural, business, and cooperation relations with India, with a view to generating significant impacts for the populations of these two great nations.
- You visited India in 2023 due to the excellent results of that visit, especially in terms of trade exchange.
During my visit, we addressed important issues on the bilateral agenda, including trade, thus highlighting President Nayib Bukele’s main strategic initiatives to foster economic growth in the country. Furthermore, outside of the various meetings, we agreed to continue promoting and generating opportunities to expand trade and investment, with priority given to the business services, technology, and tourism sectors.
These approaches have driven important actions, leading to the development of a trade mission to India in March 2025, through our Ministry of Economy. Representatives of five national companies from different economic sectors participated in the mission, aiming to position and promote Salvadoran products in a market as large as India.
El Salvador currently stands as a regional leader in business facilitation, with a capacity for diversification reflected in its export records, which totalled US$3,418.3 million between January and June 2025, in high-potential productive sectors such as textiles and apparel, agribusiness, food and beverages, plastics and rubber, among others. This is also supported by the increase in Foreign Direct Investment, which, by the first quarter of 2025, reached US$11.674 billion.
Furthermore, the country has consolidated an attractive and dynamic business climate, with economic policies that foster competitiveness, innovation, and global integration. Macroeconomic stability, along with structural reforms that facilitate entrepreneurship and investment, has allowed the country to position itself as a reliable destination for commercial operations and long-term projects. Sectors such as logistics, renewable energy, manufacturing, and digital services are experiencing accelerated growth, opening up new opportunities for strategic alliances.
For its part, El Salvador has significant advantages as a trading partner. It enjoys a preferential location in key markets, thanks to its strategic location in the heart of the American continent, a young, productive, and committed workforce, and a favourable business environment, with an export-oriented free market economy that offers a solid legal framework for investment protection.
Thus, our government actively promotes the participation of companies in business missions to explore the various investment and business opportunities the country offers. Through these initiatives, we seek to foster business, allowing companies to experience firsthand the potential of the Salvadoran market.
- In September last year, you met with our External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York. What were the main highlights or agreements reached during that conversation, and how have things progressed since then?
Within the framework of this meeting, we discussed the various initiatives we are working on together, related to investment and cooperation. I also took the opportunity to present the country’s progress and the transformation process promoted by the Administration of President Nayib Bukele, which has positioned El Salvador as the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
I also reiterated our commitment to continue working and strengthening collaboration on solar energy, the circular economy, and the promotion of cultural initiatives. I also expressed my deepest gratitude, on behalf of the Salvadoran government and people, for the constant support of this friendly nation, which has significantly impacted El Salvador’s development processes.
- As both countries work to achieve shared global goals, such as transformation and inclusive development, effectively in multilateral forums such as the UN and CELAC, could you share some of the key objectives regarding trade, development cooperation, or culture, whether in the areas of climate resilience or digital development? How can India and El Salvador collaborate further at CELAC-India meetings?
Thanks to forums such as CELAC-India and the SICA-India Forum for Political Dialogue and Cooperation, dialogue has been established between the region and New Delhi, allowing for greater and more fluid interaction between the two parties.
Through the Comprehensive Global Development Compact, promoted by India, the aim is to promote actions in areas of common interest for the Latin American and Caribbean region, such as trade for development and capacity building for growth, among others.
The SICA region and India enjoy strong, long-standing relations of friendship, deepening and diversifying dialogue and cooperation in various areas. Furthermore, opportunities in trade and investment continue to be explored and expanded.
India has extensive experience in areas such as agriculture, governance and public policy, culture, traditional medicine, and tourism, among others. Therefore, it is important to strengthen mechanisms and forums that allow for the exchange of experiences and the sharing of good practices in these sectors and others of mutual interest.
- Finally, with India’s growing global engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean, how do you envision El Salvador’s role in strengthening this South-South partnership?
The Government of El Salvador maintains a firm commitment to promoting South-South and triangular cooperation as an opportunity to address global challenges in the pursuit of better conditions for its populations, leveraging the strengths and capabilities of each nation.
Thus, in June 2020, the Bukele Administration created the El Salvador Agency for International Cooperation (ESCO), the first of its kind in the Central American region, to optimize the opportunities and possibilities for international cooperation for the economic and social development of El Salvador through efficient international engagement modalities.
International cooperation is essential to support the country’s development projects for the benefit of the Salvadoran population. In this regard, we are committed to mobilizing a significant amount of technical and financial support from friendly countries and development partners, enabling a positive impact on the lives of citizens and national development.
- Would you like to share any message with the readers of Envoy Excellence?
I would like to extend a cordial invitation to you to learn about the transformations in our nation, aimed at improving the quality of life of the population through strategic projects with significant social investment. The World Bank has recognized the country’s potential to drive economic growth through public investment and the promotion of a more dynamic, competitive, and innovative private sector. In this way, as a government, we are coordinating efforts to generate development opportunities for the Salvadoran population.
El Salvador, as our Investment and Export Promotion Agency has aptly defined, is the country of short distances, perfect waves for surfing, and memorable sunsets on the beach or in the mountains. We are characterized by our cultural richness, the warmth of our people, and our cuisine. El Salvador is located in the heart of the Americas, with impressive volcanoes and tropical landscapes, but we are also the safest country in Latin America, making us a world-class tourist destination.