India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is pushing for stronger ties with Central American nations through the Central American Integration System (SICA). At a key foreign ministers’ meeting in New York on September 26, he spotlighted opportunities in trade, digital payments, and more to boost collaboration.
Jaishankar shared his excitement about Indian companies eyeing investments in SICA countries. “We’re very encouraged by the growing interest of Indian companies to invest in SICA economies, particularly in agriculture, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and IT,” he said during the India-SICA talks.
He stressed India’s focus on building economic links that drive sustainable growth in the region. A big highlight was India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has transformed cashless transactions at home. “Our digital payments system, UPI, has delivered seamless, real-time, and secure fund transfers,” Jaishankar explained. He noted that over half of the world’s cashless payments now happen in India thanks to UPI.
Jaishankar offered to help SICA nations adopt a similar low-cost, efficient setup. “We’d be very happy to work with SICA partners to apply this digital payments system to your economies if there’s interest,” he added. This could supercharge their payment networks and support digital transformation in Central America.
Relations between India and SICA have warmed up a lot over the last 10 years, with high-level visits showing real commitment. Jaishankar recalled his own trips to Panama and the Dominican Republic and said he plans to visit the region next year, despite current global trade headaches.
His deputy, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, has already built bridges by visiting the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and Nicaragua in recent years. “These reflect our growing partnership and commitment to advancing cooperation across multiple domains,” Jaishankar said.
In the bigger picture, Jaishankar positioned SICA as a vital ally in South-South cooperation. This framework helps Global South countries tackle shared issues like development, poverty, and climate change together. “India regards SICA as a key partner… We can address these more effectively if we do it together,” he pointed out.
The meeting served as a platform to swap ideas on global views and development strategies. It builds on the 2023 Mechanism for Political Dialogue and Cooperation, launched in Panama City, where both sides agreed to deepen ties.
On the sidelines, Jaishankar co-hosted the event with Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha and held bilateral talks with him. In a tweet, he wrote: “Good to meet FM @javierachapma of Panama… Discussed our bilateral ties and cooperation in multilateral fora.” Another post celebrated the co-hosting: “SICA is a key partner in our framework of South-South cooperation. Building on the 2023 dialogue in Panama City, we look forward to advancing collaboration in digital transformation, renewable energy, food and health security, and climate action.”
Jaishankar also connected with other leaders, including Guatemala’s Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez, Costa Rica’s Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, Australia’s Penny Wong, Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty, the UK’s Yvette Cooper, and Malaysia’s Mohamad Haji Hasan.
Earlier, at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by South Africa during the UN General Assembly’s 80th session (UNGA 80), Jaishankar urged members to step up. In a volatile world, he said G20 nations must promote stability through dialogue, fight terrorism, and secure energy and economies. His tweet summed it up: “G20 members have a particular responsibility to strengthen its stability and give it a more positive direction.”
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