India, Mexico need to look at tourist, business visa relaxation: Commerce Secretary

NEW DELHI: India and Mexico need to look at ways to relax visa norms for businessmen and tourists to enhance economic ties between the two countries, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia has said.

"We need to look at the liberalisation of visa norms between the two countries to facilitate the movement of both business visitors and tourists. It could be reciprocal or it could be one way," Teaotia said a CII event here.

Noting that huge trade opportunities exist in both countries, she said: "The current trade figure of $6.2 billion is just a fraction of what we can do".

Officials of the commerce department are likely to visit Mexico in the coming months for a high level working group and the visit would focus on ways to enhance trade and investment ties between the two countries. The group on trade investment and economic cooperation was set up in 2007 and met last in 2012.

She said if the countries do not work on the visa issues then it would make it difficult for industry and tourists to move to each other countries.

"Mexico is the largest silver producer and fourth largest gold producer and we have an insatiable hunger for both," Teaotia said and suggested the two countries doing direct trade in precious metals and minerals.

She added in sectors like tourism, services, pharmaceuticals, petroleum and automobiles, both sides can enhance cooperation.