He left for Lima on Friday on a first-ever visit at the Vice Presidential level to mineral-rich Peru and Communist Cuba as part of India's thrust towards Latin America. This is the first VVIP visit from India after a gap of 15 years.

Several agreements including one on setting up of a India-Peru Joint Commission and others in the area of culture and trade are expected to be signed during the three-day visit to Peru.

Ansari will reach Lima on Saturday after an overnight halt in Frankfurt.

Vice-President will be received by his counterpart the First Vice President Ms. Marisol Espinoza, and will be meeting Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister and President of the Congress. He will also be calling on President Humala. Ansari will be in Peru from October 26 to 29.

Peru is the sixth largest economy in Latin America and the fastest growing in the region. India is seeking greater trade and investment with Peru which is rich in minerals and hydrocarbons.

Bilateral trade between India and Peru in 2012 was $1.68 billion, marginally in favour of India. Peru is seeking to rectify the balance and India is planning to increase its technical assistance programme by increasing ITEC slots for Peru.

Talks for a Free Trade Agreement with Peru are expected to start soon.
The Vice President is being accompanied by a delegation consisting of four MPSs senior officials. Cooperation in science and technology will figure in the discussions. Reforms in UN Security Council and bilateral, regional and global issues are on the agenda for discussion.

India-Peru relations have traditionally been cordial and friendly and Lima is also a member of NAM and G 77.

The Vice-President's visit coincides with the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Peru.

He will inaugurate the Cultural Festival of India in Lima to commemorate this historic event. Indian film industry Bollywood is part of this festival.
To mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Peru earlier this year, Peru has issued stamps depicting the Machu Picchu mountains and the Taj Mahal, the wonders of the respective countries.

Ansari will visit Havana in Cuba on October 29 to 30. This is the first VVIP visit to the communist country.

At present Cuba holds the Presidency of the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) with which India intends to intensify its engagements.

Ansari will interact with his counterpart the First Vice-President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. He will be calling on President Raul Castro during his stay in Havana.

India is interested in collaborating in areas where Cuba has some specialization like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and sports. Cuba provides doctors and sport coaches, notably in boxing all over the world.
The Vice President It is likely to visit to a biotechnology centre as part of his programme.

Like elsewhere in the Latin American region, Indian business is interested in hydrocarbons. OVL is already involved in Cuba and in fact was granted eight offshore oil blocks and has already invested $ 130 million in the project.
India-Cuba bilateral trade is only about $40 million. The low level of bilateral trade is due to shipping and insurance problems caused by economic embargo imposed by US on Cuba.

But India has a significant economic engagement. India has provided with line of credit (lOC) has written off $ 62 million debt in 2008. India has extended a further line of credit of $ 120 million to Cuba, of which at present $ 12.7 million has been utilized for three projects – one is a milk powder plant, one is a chemical bulk blending plant, and one is modernization of an animal vaccine plant.

Regarding support for India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council there is no significant opposition from most of the Latin American countries. On the non-permanent membership almost all Latin American countries had supported India’s candidature. On the permanent membership there are three countries which are part of the Coffee Club – Argentina, Mexico and Columbia. Barring these, most countries have no problem with India’s candidature.