The visiting Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos Lopez, who is on an official visit to India from August 19 met the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid here on Wednesday.

According to the Spokesperson in the Indian External Affairs Ministry, Syed Akbaruddin, the Nicaraguan Minister has sought India’s participation in the ambitious Nicaragua Canal Project. Lopez informed Khurshid that the detailed prject report would be prepared by 2014.
The Nicaragua Canal is expected to allow the world's largest ships through like the Panama Canal in the region.

Nicaragua, with six million people, borders Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, is famous for two largest fresh water lakes in Central America - Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Panama lies to the south of Costa Rica.

Lopez also reiterated Nicaragua’s support for India's candidature for a permanent seat in UN Security Council.

Lopez had earlier visited India in June 2008 to participate in the India-SICA (Central American Integration System) Foreign Ministers' meeting. Nicaragua is an important member of SICA with which India has an institutionalised dialogue mechanism at the Foreign Minister level.

India and Nicaragua enjoy warm and friendly relations and both countries share common perspectives on a wide variety of international issues. Bilateral trade between the two countries for the year 2012-13 was $ 60.12 million.

India has provided $10 million to the Central American country for setting up two electric substations. India has also set up an IT centre in that country in 2009.