E-Mail:

sspol@indempan.org

sscci@indempan.org

Area

Population:

Capital

Language:

Currency:

Time

GDP: US

GDP Per Capita:

GDP Growth Rate:

Foreign Trade [2008]:

Global imports – US$9754.5 million.

Trade with India: I

Imports: [Pharmaceuticals, Rubber articles, iron and steel and machinery]

Exports: [Wood & wood products, wood charcoal]

Government System:

Year term. Unicameral Legislative Assembly with 84 Deputies elected for three-year terms.

Head of State & Government

Minister for External Relations

Member of Regional Organizations:

Central American Bank of Economic Integration [CABEI], Inter-American

Development Bank [IDB] and the Organisation of American States [OAS].

Indian Community: 10-15.

India – El Salvador Bilateral Relations

India and El Salvador enjoy friendly and cordial relations. Indian Embassy in

Panama is concurrently accredited to El Salvador. El Salvador opened its Embassy in

New Delhi in April 2008 with a resident Ambassador. They have, from time to time,

supported India’s candidature in elections to various UN bodies. During the visit of

former FM Lainez in March 2007, El Salvador expressed support for India’s candidature

in the expanded UNSC. They have also conveyed their support for India’s candidature

for a non-permanent seat in UNSC for 2011-12.

Visits

Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, former MOS visited El Salvador from September 8 – 9,

2004. El Salvador’s Ministers of External Relations, Maria Eugenia Brizuela de Avila and

Francisco Lainez, paid bilateral visits to India from 1-5 Feb 2004 and 4-9 March 2007

respectively. Ms. Margarita Escobar, El Salvador’s former Vice Minister for Salvadorans

Abroad visited India from 13-14 Dec 2007. Former Vice President Ana Vilma de Escobar

visited India from January 12-17, 2008 to attend the CII Partnership Summit. Former

Vice-Foreign Minster Eduardo Calix visited India in June 2008 to attend the second

India-SICA Foreign Ministers’ meeting. Former Vice-President Ana Vilma de Escobar

attended India-Latin America and Caribbean Conclave organized by CII in Bengaluru in

February 2009.

Bilateral Agreements

MOU on foreign office consultations between Ministry of External Affairs and the

Ministry of External Relations of El Salvador signed in February 2004. Agreement for

waiver of visas for diplomatic and official passports signed in June 2008.

Trade and Economic Relations

Main exports from India are engineering goods, rubber articles, iron and steel

and machinery, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and textiles. The imports to India

are wood & wood products, etc. A Line of Credit of US$15 million was announced by

GOI during the visit of former Foreign Minister Lainez in March 2007. Another LOC of

US$10 million offered to each SICA member countries at the India-SICA FMs meeting

held in New Delhi in June 2008. As part of India’s offer to SICA countries to establish IT

Centers, an IT Training Center has been set up at the Central American Technological

Institute in San Salvador in May 2008. The trainers from NIIT are engaged in imparting

training to students. NIIT Training Center has become popular in El Salvador.

Government of India donated medicines and medical stores worth Rs. 5 lakhs to El

Salvador as relief supplies for the victims of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. GOI also donated

medicines worth US$10,000 in August 2005 and 18 Bajaj three-wheelers in November

2005. India has given a cash donation of US$ 250,000 to El Salvador for relief and

rehabilitation to persons affected by Hurricane ‘Ida’ in November 2009.

Cultural Relations/ ITEC

Cultural troupes from India have visited El Salvador and given performances.

Exhibition of the Churches of Goa “Velha Goa” was held in San Salvador in October

2005. A ‘Friends of India’ Association has been formed. Government of India has

allocated 10 ITEC slots for the year 2010-11.

March 2010